T.H.U.G.W.A.Y : Dedication

T.H.U.G.W.A.Y : Dedication: .....I run to the podium out of breath while trying to gather my thoughts nervous because I'm who they came to see. I clear my throat and th...

Dedication

.....I run to the podium out of breath while trying to gather my thoughts nervous because I'm who they came to see. I clear my throat and the words become formed as such; " first and foremost I'd like to thank the head of my life and the giver of my blessings, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to thank my mother for staying on my neck when the time was right to apply pressure. To my father for riding with me even on the occasions I was wrong, may you both rest in peace. I have to mention the Michigan Department of Corrections for being a roof over my head when the streets would no longer have me. And to the mother of my children I salute you, because although child support on my head, me and you know what's really real.......I truly don't want to forget nobody..............shout out to the ones on the side line waiting on me to stumble, as you can see I still haven't got this walk down pack. One love to the dope fiends (including my family) that kept a dollar in my pocket and a sandwich in my my stomach, this is for you. For all my fallen soldiers, dead or in jail, for you! I can't forget facebook for allowing me to vent and put my life on center stage. If not for you I know I wouldn't have 1200 friends(most of them unknown). Last but not least, to me, for standing up even when the world has knocked me down. I've always loved the fact that tough times were  a part of the resume and I make the people see how I move. I damn near forgot Satan .....bless you . You have kept me alert for quite some time now, making my life one hellavue ride...damn near dead, damn near dead. To all of those that made me who I'am............thank you! your support has been everything I thought it would be, bless you and good night.
                                                                                                       T.H.UG.W.A.Y.

Am I a Bandwagoner?

Hebrews 11:1 NIV Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.                 

   I  often take pride in supporting my Lions, Pistons, Tigers, and Pats....(I'll stop for the sake of reasoning), I'll pay high internet and satellite bills to follow them. Trust me,  I am no bandwagoner. Over the past decade the Lions have lost games in every way imaginable, the Pistons have gone from lingering among the NBA elite three straight lottery picks, yet somehow I am able to envision a playoff run at the start of each season. I am no bandwagoner. I somehow conjure a way to have faith in the fact that the current selection of players, front office decision makers, and even bumbling owners will make something happen. After the Lions went 0-16 I still found myself explaining how that was a step forward.... I am no bandwagoner! I guess you can say I have faith in my teams. Each loss brings along its share of heartache and gut wrenching pain....the second guessing literally can last for weeks. What could they have done different  in order to justify my faith in their ability to win as I see them fit. I am no bandwagoner.
     
    ....But sometimes I ask myself, am I a bandwagon christian? What ridiculous price am I willing to pay  as a show of faith in God? When was the last time I sacrificed the last word for peace? Or better yet, do I excercise my faith in trying times, or do I accept what appears to be defeat. Am I a bandwagon child of God? Am I ready to accept the flashy blessings and generous amounts of favor with a smile, never expecting to experience struggle and strife? I will admit I have done more than my fair share of shouting to upper manangement, but am I a bandwagon christian? ,How often do I rely on my own understanding in lieu of what I know to be The Truth.Did Jesus die for a bandwagon believer??? I ask this question to me...#) ...You can interview yourself. This I KNOW...a sure win is in the bag!

The Kite

            Dear Soldiers,Comrades and Enemies,
       It is my hopes ,prayers and dreams that my words reach you in good health,mentally,physically as well as spiritually.As for me I'm doing well as can be expected given the hardship I face on a daily basis, but I'm sure yours is worst.Therefore my words may not bring comfort but I understand you still.....my wish is that my words will speak of empathy.
       Reality speaks for itself,what I'm doing ,where I'm going.I swear you know better than anybody what it means to embark on a life of destruction,walking around blinded. Believe it or not I'm doing what they never thought I'd do and they still talk about me, but I guess you got to lose a few to gain the few that counts. Just know the skull dugery in me is no more bro!I have kids now and like I think about them daily, I'm sure you have nightmares and cold sweats when you thing about yours. Oh yea if you ain't heard Auntie dead.Real talk ,it's tight on everybody.....man we just went to a funeral last week.Dawg little brother had to be cremated because his family was broke...no stash,no insurance.I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss you.In all reality things just aint the same.You gotta come home fammo!The kids miss you and mama do too.I would tell you about what's her name but I want you to concentrate on touching down.If you ain't heard I put the sack away,yea man I don't hustle no more,I been off into church and working on a book.You know that I know what it feels like to be captured and caged.All I can say is appeal it.....to give you natural life is for you to give it to God,He got the last say over your life. Pops birthday just passed, and I know if he was here he would've enjoyed himself. So what's been happening with you, I heard you just got out the hole for fighting?.....Bro you better remember that's their house and you can't win, all they do is keep adding time, time you'll never get back. We need you out here with us! But until you come home, hold your head and remember I'm rooting for you, I don't care what we didn't get along about. Oh yea, grandma said send you a scripture.....Psalm 31.
                                                                                                          Love is Love,
                                                                                                          T.H.U.G.W.A.Y.

Still Thugging

Thug n.a hoodlum or ruffian; formerly,a professional assassin in India; Today's thug comes in many more forms and the definition is much more wide spread.A young man with a ball cap,sagging jeans and a knack for speaking Ebonics fluently can be considered a thug.There should be no argument that before Tupac emerged on the scene in the early 90's the word thug was rarely if ever used to describe a black man.I myself began using the word about that time because I felt it was a title that would give my life meaning,as if it would strengthen my standing in the community as somebody not to f#ck with.(today I continue to use the word only in a different context)As I stated earlier many names have been derived from the word thug such as goon or gangsta to describe ourselves and others.In order to drive the title home what recent generations of men have done is become murderers,killing off potential doctors,lawyers and maybe even community leaders.I guess what I'm saying is many families will never get the chance to see what one would've became and this goes for the incarcerated as well.The streets of the inner cities such St.Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Flint and countless others are running crimson with the blood of our youth, OUR FUTURE! One of the things I've noted is that we have men and women with resources to reach out but refuse to because of the fear of failure or they feel their time would be wasted(we have to get them while they're young). As I've stated in previous writings I myself was once part of the problem instead of part of the solution. It took the majority of my youth and adulthood of being in institutions,being shot six times,homelessness and estranged from my family to finally begin to think straight. Not to brow beat anyone but God spared my life as He have with others and for that I'm indebted to my children and yours as well.Too many times we make it out never having the commonsense or compassion to reach back and help someone else,not even our own. The saying goes "it takes a village to raise a child",and I believe that to be true. The only reason black men are not extinct is because black women are producing more babies that thy're not even capable of caring for. I'am deathly afraid for my son so with every passing day I hope and pray for his well being but whatever he becomes in life I know that I have played a role, a major role(what now comes to mind is save our sons and daughters)-James Doe 1776

Till death do us part

....The divorce rate among blacks is higher than any other ethnic group,coming in at 70%,why is this?Statistics show we also have the lowest rate when it simply comes to getting married.Researchers have attributed this to our economic situations the same way they have explained our incarceration status(poverty).I will be honest in saying that I fall into this category having spent several years in prison,then to get married and quickly divorced.I have witnessed first hand the affect this has had on my children and I must say it's devastating.Truth of the matter is our children become displaced and divided often times because of custodial  rights.They are forced to choose between mother and father and to decide who was the cause of the separation of family;I honestly believe that we as African Americans forget that we have made a vow to God to love one another for rich or poor,through sickness or in health,till death do us part;The fact of the matter is we have now labeled ourselves and refer to one another as "baby daddy" and "baby mama",giving way to the black family as a whole.I'll be first to agree that all relationships are not healthy and that separation and ultimately divorce is the best answer.When I think of the reasons why my own marriage did not sustain the test of time,I can only think of that old cliche that says "a family that prays together stays together";so many of us did not pray for a soul mate(someone evenly yoked with ourselves)but yet we stand at the alter vowing before God to love,honor and protect.It is my belief that we initially enter into these unions in hopes that a ring and title will solidify our status in society or at the very least  it will offer security.I could be wrong but I believe that communication and prayer before marriage is the essential keys to its survival.I'd like to close by saying that I commend and tip my hat to the men and women who have stuck by that vow and continue to fight together instead of with one another.(if The Lord never sends a soul mate,it it because He wants you to marry Him) Revelations 19:9   -James Doe 1776

"Cold Term"

....all the things,the objects,the cold freeze of the cemetary while passing.I think of the people there.White inside outside on horses trotting ignorantly;there is so much pain for our blackness,yet so much beauty there.If we would only think to what our beautiful selves would make of this world.....we would be steaming,turning blackouts over the heart of our city;allowing our love to hover,waiting for our lives to arrive at ecstasy.
....why can't we love each other and be beautiful?Why does our beauty corner each other and spit poison?Why are the beautiful not living together and understanding each others trials?........tell me why are the beautiful not walking with their arms around each other,laughing softly at the comedy of black beauty?;I know I've roamed a thousand miles searching for myself,trying to salvage my black beauty.....and yet still in the silence,staring at my people,looking at all the death of this black beauty,I can't help but wonder....why are the beautiful divided like myself?-unknown
"I'd rather be straddling the fence than to be caught in the devils backyard"-James Doe 1776

Role Models

Given my background (ex-drug dealer ,ex-stickup man,ex-con and not to mention a ninth grade dropout)most people (suburbanites and urbanites alike) would say I'm not qualified to be a role model or some sort of mentor to their youth,but I beg to differ.Given the state in which our world sits in,I may even be over qualified.Take a child that comes from a drug infested neighborhood with no recollection of his parents being there in even the smallest capacity.He or she has then been subjected to a world whereas they will live in survival mode for probably the rest of their lives (hence drug dealers and strippers and potential drug addicts) I've learned after doing some research that the younger generation responds better to ones they can relate to and who can relate to them.So I say truly if we DO NOT begin to raise our children, then Ray Ray,Shaniqua,Rick Ross and Nikki Minaj will,if they havent already begun;my eight year old son recently came to me and asked if I would take him to do a fake drive-by.If he had of been eighteen he might've been out doing a real drve-by.When I tell you I literally shed a tattoo tear,I mean this is how my son views me?Then what is the world saying about me?; A wise man once said it like this,"If you and your daughter are ridin in a car listening to music that refers to her as any and everything but a child of God,chances are she'll think of herself as just that.(a superfreak,a ratchett so and so or a bad you know what)But this not only applies to our little girls,but take a look at our little boys.Theres the very alarming possibility that he may end up in someones institution or graveyard by age 25;so the reality is simply this,we have allowed any and everything including ourselves to transform the innocence of our children into products of a world that tells them they're nothing more than freaks and thugs;surely we have a duty if not an obligation(espeacially if you've lived a little bit of life and been somewhere)to be atleast something other than a old freak or over the hill convict thug.We have to try our best to be role models or some sort of examples of real men and women.(I now nominate myself to join the few MEN and WOMEN that has chosen to do this{1st Timothy  4:12-16}-James Doe 1776

Black man,gun in hand and standing over a dead body.From the prosecution of the state to the to the pissed off eye of the people,that man is GUILTY!......I was taught to believe some of what you see and all of how your heart feels.If three people witnessed a traffic accident,all most certainly,two of the three would disagree on how the accident occurred.I would say at the least we are individuals,creatively designed by God to not only see but feel the world just a little bit different from one another.The things that trouble me may not trouble you,my many concerns may be of no concern of yours and vice-versa.Trust that your higher power will give you the insight to see past the surface of life.To weed out the fakes and phonies even in the instance of one conversation.I may like how you said it but don't believe what you say;therefore we have to go with the facts and not what we want to believe because its convenient for us.As so-called Christians or at the very least,productive people of society,we have a duty to follow truth.There's an old cliche that says:"dont judge a book by its cover",I say:"understand a crook and his struggle".Even if I have to defend my past actions for the rest of my life,its ok.Just dont judge me according to your personal views or what "It" or "I" look like.Base your conclusion on my works,whether they be big or small,whether they are made public or not.Understand that I have an obligation to stand upon my six(love,life,loyalty,knowlege,wisdom and understanding),to bare my cross upon my back and to do so unto my death,and by living this way,you and the world should know that I stand for truth.(Acts,chpt. 26 verse six)-James Doe 1776

Lets begin....today I want to speak about the state of the woman and the responsibility given to her by men who only wanted the fun in the sun and not the aftermath of that momentary sexual affection.I would hope that we all can agree that women raising children alone is an injustice not only to the child but our society as a whole.Unfortunately some (men) are not physically here to help,protect and provide for their offspring,so I will be centering on the ones that are.Past generations have showed us that the primary parent in the home is the woman,who often times have been referred to as mother and father.I'm not saying this is an impossible feat,but given that she has to play two roles,her child(ren) would most likely lose out on some essential life skills,maybe even some love.I personally wont profess to be the Cliff Huxtable of the hood,but I will acknowlege that my children need me as much as they need their mother.The truth of the matter is,we as men have walked away from our families without rhyme or reason and certainly without a concience.I will even venture to say that blunts,alcohol and the streets have truly altered or murdered any chance of us having the rational thought of being fathers.Time after time we attribute this to our so-called oppressor,shifting blame and falsely justifing our cowardly actions.In closing I would like to say this,our sons are killing one another because of the examples set before them,no structure,no guidance.Our daughters are allowing these same boys to impregnate them,leaving our communities in what I like to call a cesspool cycle.(Men),quit leaving our women to swing the hammer and bake the bread.(Child Support) requires quite a bit more than making monthly payments(Hold your head up woman,you are appreciated)-James Doe 1776

Introduction to T.H.U.G.W.A.Y.

My brother (Joe King) and I established T.H.U.G.W.A.Y. Ministries in 2009 after both joining a church.Ironically though they were seperate churches in two different cities,their names were the same,New St. Mark,this to us was a revelation.We also began preperation for a book entitled "Hostile Witness".I being born and raised in Detroit where i survived a life of drugs,jail and bullets decided to dedicate the remainder of the life that was spared me to GOD and to raising my two children.With the help of my brother who also experienced as much tradgedy,heartache and pain as myself,that sparked what would become T.H.U.G.W.A.Y.(True Hereos Under God Working All Year)With this ministry we will show our personal transition from street thugs to Gods thugs as well as address issues plaguing our families and communities in hopes that we're able to make a change even if its only in the minds of two.I ask that you join us in this crusade and maybe just maybe we can begin to build and save lives-James Doe 1776