El Monte Teacher Accused Of Tying Third Graders To Their Chairs

Two steps forward... Ten steps back.

They put the wrong kids on pills to be still feining for refills.
Principals with no principle, priorities political.
Pedagogical planning is pitiful.
Low on tolerance high on ridicule.
Even the infirmary is inhospitable.
Assembly required.
Metal detectors seeming unjust but inspired by shots fired.
Turn black zero tolerance on and lock down.
Aging out, if you ask me does not sound like education.
But I suppose that's the cause and affect when the city spends more on incarceration.

How did this guy think it was ok to tie up these kids? Read below.

El Monte Teacher Accused Of Tying Third Graders To Their Chairs

POSTED: 10:37 am PST December 9, 2005

EL MONTE, Calif. -- An investigation is under way into whether an elementary school teacher in El Monte tied three third graders to their chairs for being disorderly in a classroom, authorities said.

The teacher at Maxson Elementary School is suspected of using computer cords to tie the children -- two boys and a girl -- to their chairs for about five minutes on Tuesday, said El Monte police Detective Eric Youngquist.

The teacher, whose name was not released, reportedly wanted to stop them from walking around in the classroom.

The teacher was not arrested, but was placed on paid administrative leave.

Authorities were trying to get a statement from the teacher, who is being represented by an attorney, Youngquist said.

When the investigation is completed, a decision will be made on possible prosecution, Youngquist said.

Alan Morier of the Mountain View School District told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that the students are still in school but the teacher has been taken out of the classroom "so if it is true we don't want to make it uncomfortable for anyone."

Morier declined to comment on the details of the incident.

-- NBC Channel 4 - L.A.

To all those heads that say "kids need some discipline", no doubt. But not by a teacher, not at school, not in a way that will scare them emotionally and not with computer cords. The parents discipline. Not a teacher, not a 3rd grade teacher. Now these 8 year olds understand and have it in their minds that discipline is taking computer cords or any type of cord and inflicting pain on another person forcing them do do as they are told with no other option. Wait until they get older. I hope they can surpass this, but imagine if this type of pattern continued, not only with the student but the rest of their "authority figures"? Their future teachers have it harder now, communication with the law, etc. Discipline is to be decided by the parents or family.

This whole time, we have been fighting so that teachers can have more pay and more benefits for doing what they do. We try to see their side of the financial situation and why we are losing teachers. No doubt it is hard to teach, even harder with language barriers, but you do not resort to using computer cords on a child who is not listening. There are so many other options for teachers. Why? If this case is true, why did he take it upon his hands to have people have a negative idea of the education system again when we were just fighting to improve it? I say, if he did it, fire the jerk and send him to iraq. Let some adult terrorists treat him the way he treated those children. Or put his ass in jail, I am sure someone can help him up with the torture thing.

I have a few friends that are teachers. Where you at? How does this make you feel? Trish, Big E, Stevo! You guys are what keeps hope alive! This type of treatment shouldn't be tolerated. How would we feel if we heard our kids or friends kids were tied up by their teachers?

Spread the word. This kat should be locked up... if he did it!

Here are some lyrics from an underground mc by the name of J-LIVE. He spits some real shit, experience is the best teacher... in fact, he is a teacher. This type of treatment from teachers only proves his point in this song. You should go get this album!

It's dedicated to. Bed-Stuy
It's representative of - Brownsville
It's representative of - Bushwick
It's dedicated to - fort green
A matter of fact the whole - Brooklyn
A better yet the whole - New York
A better yet the whole - America
It's going out to all - World Wide.

Welcome to Brooklyn public.
One of the hardest places to work so please don't apply unless you really love it.
It's 9-5 or rather 8-3, It's really 5-9. A to P if it's your job, place nothing above it.
You make war in other places with higher property tax and less faces.
But if that's what you've come to think, you aught to ask your self if this is where you really want to be.
To help you out I'll try to paint a picture of it.

One class, 31 one students, 32 chairs, 25 desks... I guess they gotta share.
19 text books and most are missing pages.
Junior High, 3 grades for 6 different ages.
Teachers and Janitors double as Deans.
Deans double as security guards and crime scene investigators.
Older teachers need respirators
The elevators, the bad odors from the back stairs are made of.
Gutted Garcia Vegas, Used condoms and puddles of piss.
Try not to slip during the fire drill.
Every now and then a scandal might reach the paper.
For every story, theirs 30 in the category.
Hard work and progress on display in the hall ways.
Demoralized and vandalized every day.
Lessons cut short to prep a test that only test how well you prep, man no wonder why the scores are messy.
Knuckle heads begging for detention or suspension.
Truth be told, they really only crave attention.
Some kids showing up unprepared and dirty, cause their parents gotta punch in by 7:30.
Shit, some other's parent's 7:30.
They put the wrong kids on pills to be still feining for refills.
Principals with no principle, priorities political.
Pedagogical planning is pitiful.
Low on tolerance high on ridicule.
Even the infirmary is inhospitable.
Assembly required.
Metal detectors seeming unjust but inspired by shots fired.
Turn black zero tolerance and lock down.
Aging out, if you ask me does not sound like education.
But I suppose that's the cause and affect when the city spends more on incarceration.

Welcome to Brooklyn public.
One of the hardest places to work so please don't apply unless you really love it.
It's 9-5 or rather 8-3, It's really 5-9. A to P if it's your job, place nothing above it.
You make war in other places with higher property tax and less faces.
But if that's what you've covet, you aught to ask your self if this is where you really want to be.
To help you out I'll try to paint a picture of it.

Roam the halls with me.
So many characters.
Some sweet, some shifty, some bad, some quite, some trust and some don't by it... don't try it. Some will try to squash beef and some start riots.
Some are motivated.
Some are lazy.
Some are genius and some are crazy
The line between is hazy.
Some 'll love you some will hate, some will need you, some will spite you, some are thankful, some are ungrateful.
Some of them don't really care about what's being learned and taught. They fought through it then they got stuck.

Some are there until the bell rings, run through the day without thinking cause they really don't give a fuck!
Some will run, some will fight, some will tell, some might change the world, some are early to the grave or jail, some are so complicated some are so simple.
Some are students some are teachers some are principals.

Welcome to Brooklyn public.
One of the hardest places to work so please don't apply unless you really love it.
It's 9-5 or rather 8-3, It's really 5-9. A to P if it's your job, place nothing above it.
They make war in other places with higher property tax and less faces.
But if that's what you've covet, you aught to ask your self if this is where you really want to be.
To help you out I'll try to paint a picture of it.

Come upstairs, keep roaming the halls with me.
So many characters.
Some sweet some shifty.
Like I said some complicated some are simple.
Some are students, some are teachers, some are principals.

Listen, the littlest thugs walk like they are invincible.
Comical, just look at little Dexter.
He's got the type of Napoleon complex to skip in front of Devon twice his size just to get him vexed but...
Devons a gentle giant. 13, 5 foot 11.
His mom's a nurse and his dad's a reverend.
Every now and then he gets irreverent....

We need to take care of our kids!

Word!

A Hispanic work wave

Make sure to read along with the links. Education is power!

"Illegal aint illegal if it's less than an ounce." - De La Soul

Understand the metaphor. Don't overuse the "immigrant labor" and you won't get in trouble, just use it enough to make it worth it. And why not? Corporations do it all of the time. They do stuff that is wrong in advertising, workforce, and human relations daily. Those million $$$ corps can afford do it though, if it is worth it in the long run. So what makes hiring illegal immigrants any worse? Why should the illegals be the victims? Why not those who hire them? Why not punish the government for allowing it to happen? The beauty of this country is freedom of speech, the discovery channel, pbs, npr and Jesko One! With all of the documentation published today about vineyards, farms, clothing manufacturers, high-tech, industrial labor, Government subcontractors, military subcontractors, man... the list goes on, why is it still going on and why isn't the government made responsible for taking action against the companies?

Illegals simply work the jobs like anyone else would who isn't stupid enough to pass up work. They don't pay taxes, but hell they don't even get minimum wage so who is losing and who is winning? Believe me, they do not benefit from being paid under the table. They have less money to live off of and still seem to progress in this country. Illegally. How many barriers do you think an illegal person has in this country? And yet they are finding the jobs, working them, living here in this fucked up economy and taking care of families with those "under the table" wages. Perhaps they should all become CPAs and teach the government funded "Americans" how to balance your money. They spend the money here, on rent, food, bills, medical costs, education and anything else you "Americans" spend your money on. Or did you think they were truly "Alien" and somehow didn't pay rent, buy food, pay bills, etc.? Yet the company that hires them gets away with not hiring yet another "American", Tax Fraud, unequal opportunities, unfair wages... all for corporate profits. Hmmm... why worry about the illegals? They seem to have it under control. Why not worry about the companies hiring them?

Who hires illegal workers? Google is good to all of us!
Google search for "Who hires cheap labor?" - Click to see

Google serch for "Who hires illegal workers?" - click to see

Google search for "Failure"

So who hires illegals? And no, not just from mexico.

High Tech Industry:
The H-1B swindle
Funny cartoon (jpeg)

A group dedicated to hiring american - interesting facts.

Sea food folks? Not them too!

What about the medical industry? Do you mean that they...

No need to be illegal to fit in... now prisoners can partake too!

Shit... not only do they complain about our contributions, they won't even let private organizations help illegals when it comes to work related issues.

Damn... again, Illegal aint illegal if it's less than an ounce!

Aren't they tied back to the government somehow?

That whole "illegal aint illegal" thing is pretty obvious when it comes to Uncle Sam...

Another perspective on the situation.

As we all know, or maybe you don't, but now you do... immigration has always been... dated back to over 20,000 years ago. Read this: US Immigration History

So why is that we are so harsh on the workers, and not their employers? I think it's because it is in the Governments interest to allow these large corporations to do what they do. With all of the taxes they pay, it seems they have free range to do what they want. But then again, if they are hiring illegal workers, are they not committing tax fraud of some sort? They are the ones cheating the system by paying low wages "under the table" that they do not report. Instead, they report it as some sort of loss to account for the large expense. At least that is what I would assume. I own a business, and when it comes to taxes, if my expense didn't make me any money, it is considered a loss. Well, wages that you cannot report most often turn into "losses" for these companies who are given tax breaks for their loss. Sounds like fraud to me. Go fuck with those folks. Put them in jail, take all of their money and spread it around to the "Americans" for being screwed by yet another "American" company.


Who does this land really belong to? All this talk about illegal immigrant workers is making me want to revolt!

"Where them freedom fightin' kids who are gonna ball and raise fist? If ya'll are down for the struggle come on ya'll resist! - De La Soul

Did we all forget about this? Pilgrim or immigrant? What is the difference? I guess if you come here, murder millions, steal the land and rape the culture you are not considered an immigrant, but a pilgrim. So would America prefer that our people come back and do the same?

Pilgrim or Immigrant?

Wampanoag History

Damn... the Indians were killed by disease the British brought here... oh and the back stabbing also had a part in it. Only in 1928 were the Wampanoag people able to reclaim their tribal identity. How the fuck do you keep a person from being able to claim their tribal identity?

How about California, Texas, Louisiana, Florida and a few other areas being originally a part of mexico...

Info on the Mexico before it was "America".

More info on Mexico and the US.

The American land takeover started in the early 1600s. "Americans" have been in the US for over 400 years. They came here illegally. They killed native americans & mexicans. Then they hit you with the "White Right" and started hanging "niggers" when they didn't produce enough or got out of hand... hold up... didn't the term "Slave Wages" originate here? Read this: Chronology on the History of Slavery and Racism

" Although the number of African American slaves grew slowly at first, by the 1680s they had become essential to the economy of Virginia. During the 17th and 18th centuries, African American slaves lived in all of England’s North American colonies. Before Great Britain prohibited its subjects from participating in the slave trade, between 600,000 and 650,000 Africans had been forcibly transported to North America. ("Immigration," Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. Microsoft Corporation.)"

Real typical of the "American" way. Talk shit, complain, refuse immigrants, have an unfair labor force, use other countries for the "slave labor", pay other races "slave wages", kill millions, enslave hundreds of thousands, rape the land and still have a reason to complain about mexican workers helping out Katrina victims.

Did we forget that america did this to "americans"?
Segregation - (jpeg)

I would really love to see what would happen to this country if everyone that is "non-white" didn't show up to work one day. And let go of your idea that not "every" american is white. I understand that, but american or not, you mother fuckers don't respect people because of the color of their skin, not because they are foreign. White immigrants don't get as much hassle as the "obvious" immigrant. And if anyone is obviously an immigrant its those pussy ass pilgrims that brought their disease, language and ignorance to this land. You fuckers were greeted by native americans when you first arrived and were fed by their knowledge and understanding of the land and it's potential. Then you back stab. Wow, how history repeats it's self.

The reality is that you only have a piece of paper claiming your stake in this land. My people helped make it what it was and is today. We don't need a piece of paper to grant us opportunities. As you can see, we are good at making it happen no matter what.

Next time one of you sorry ass, blood thirsty, lazy ass, money hungry, culturally blind ignorant leaches decide to bash immigrants wilts drinking on a glass of wine, or eating an orange, consider who picked it for you.

And guess what. It won't stop... nope, my people have an understanding that this was once theirs. Not yours. It's not a battle, intelligence isn't always highlighted, but you will see. My people are smarter than you think. Soon you will realize that you are the minority and the majority is "foreign". Just like the pilgrims wanted it. You can't place a border on land and expect someone not to cross it. You might as well put up a steel wall, but the government makes to much money from my people, so not only will that never happen, we will be the majority!

Next time one of you "americans" that is so hostile about the immigration issue walks into a Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai, African, Brazilian or any ethnic food place for that matter, I encourage you to tell those people that you don't appreciate their business, their contribution or their being here. First, you might get a laugh, but you better run like hell when those folks figure out that you are serious... In fact, i encourage you to walk up to anyone you see and do the same. Pussy ass bitches. I can see it now. HA! But that isn't the point. We all know that without an army, that won't happen. So, instead of talking shit to your friends, spread the word. Make a movement. End result you will lose. You see, the world doesn't belong to anyone. We are all here to be free. You can't place rules on how an individual lives. Or where they want to live.

If you want to get into the issue that they are "Illegal" so were your people. Even Christopher Columbus was greeted by over a million native americans. My people didn't have to cross oceans on ships to get here, we just needed to cross the street.

And why are we so stuck on not allowing "others" to migrate here? Give it up. It has happened since the beginning of time. You think Bush is going to make it stop? Please, as you read this we are illegally in another country trying to break their government and instill a new one. So worried about immigration, then migrate the fuck back to the US and make a difference here!

Stop getting caught up on the immigration issue, that is what this country was started from. Instead, work on a way to coincide with the rest of the people in this country. The world is where we all live. No natural borders to abide by. The land, waters and skies are for everyone. You don't own shit. One day it will all make sense. (nope, i don't mean religion) One day...

If I say "Americans" it's not because I feel that all Americans are in on this. I know that isn't the case. I say "American" cause that is what the media and your president says. They called the Katrina workers "brown" instead of their natural race of origin. Worry about the concept of branding someone by a color and look what happened last time you tried it.

I say "my people" and "our people" because I am not a citizen of the US. I am a permanent resident here and feel I have a better perspective of my opportunities here because of that. Not illegal. No matter where we live, segregation will always be a problem. How can we expect to understand each other, when we can't even communicate in the same language? How can we expect to understand each others cultures? Each others ways of life? You should also be considering them, your people.

You don't have to like me, but you do have to live with what I say! Otherwise, change the channel!

Word 'em Up!

Court: Social Security can be used to pay debt

Some of the following information was pulled from MSNBC.com & Associated Press.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday against a disabled man whose government benefits had been cut to pay off student debt from the 1980s.
- MSNBC.com

It seems that the Government is now able to seize your Social Security to pay back unpaid Student Loan Debts that are 10 years past due.

It is alarming to consider that what someone works for their entire lives to build, as a promise by the government to use when they retire and no longer have the ability to build income unless they decide to continue to work past the age of 65, can be taken from you "without exception". So where does the American dream stand? Building a retirement fund through Social Security, since it isn't an option, is the only option some people have. Those who are not able to build their 401k plan or extra retirement savings rely on their Social Security to care for them and their families. Imagine having to pay rent, food, bills, medication, emergencies and anything else that comes your way on $874 a month. That is what James Lockhart has to do. Good thing some people own homes outright and only pay taxes and not mortgage. But those who don't, and pay rent or still pay their mortgage... what do they do? You couldn't survive on that much money. If you know an elderly person with medication costs you would know that almost half of that is already gone. Another option, I guess, is living in public housing like Lockhart does. So that is how we take care of our seniors huh? Not enough money? We have public housing prepared so that you can pay us back and have nothing... then get stuck and never leave... give us mo' money, mo' money, mo' money! It seems that is the New American Dream.

Although, is it a bad idea to consider using your Social Security to pay back student loan debt? I think it would be a good option for those who are willing to use their Social Security to pay back student loan debt. If you can't use it until you retire, and have a long ways until you do, or have other retirement savings, perhaps taking a chunk out of your Social Security wouldn't be such a bad idea. Right? Why not? Let your money work for you. Its your money... isn't it?

I think it is unfair to allow the government to take it with no question or option to you. If you get a pay check, chances are they take out Social Security. Unless you are a contractor or self employed, you are being taxed some form of Social Security cost. And those who don't, won't have anything unless they prepare otherwise. So, since the average employee doesn't have the option of removal, why shouldn't they have the option of having it seized?

Imagine finding out you have no more Social Security saved because of an old school debt. Now consider your debt to be $100k and you only had $55k saved and it was all gone, but you still have debt to pay. No savings and still a very large debt. How did that help? Now imagine that this could happen to millions of people. How many of those people are close to retirement? Will they have the time and ability to rebuild their Social Security before they retire? If anyone who is currently using their Social Security, or about to start having to use it and have any type of school debt, chances are its more than 10 years old and collectable according to this ruling "Without Exceptions".

I think we should have the option, and if not chosen, it shouldn't be forced on us. Does this impact poverty in this country and is it a push to have more people in poverty? It seems like the Government thrives more when the majority is part of the poverty. Low wages decrees ones ability to properly plan for retirement or move past a low wage job. The more money you have, the more options you have when it comes to giving back to Uncle Sam. The more options you have, the less you give. The way it seems is that the more people we have in low wage positions the better off the government is. More low wages, less ability to plan and save, less options, more taxes. I seem to know a lot of people trapped in this situation. It seems to be contagious. Why? If I am wrong... show me some proof. If I am right, damn...


Take a look at the article and read what the press is saying. Vote on their poll!

Or post a comment here!

"The thing about eating the Black and White cookie, Elaine, is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate And yet somehow racial harmony eludes us. If people would only look to the cookie all our problems would be solved." - Jerry Seinfeld, Seinfeld (The Dinner Party)

Options is the idea here...

Word Life

Ever consider the consequence of a Metaphore?

"...Where were you the day hip hop died?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?
Is it too late, to late, is to late, is it to late to late..."
- Talib Kweli / Too Late / Reflection Eternal - Train of Thought

Dictionary.com defines a metaphor as the following:

metaphor
n.

1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in a sea of troubles or All the world's a stage (Shakespeare).
2. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol: Hollywood has always been an irresistible, prefabricated metaphor for the crass, the materialistic, the shallow, and the craven (Neal Gabler).

Maybe now all you "Gangta" rappers and emcees can understand that what you say, isn't always what you want them to think. In other words... STOP BULLSHITTIN'!

I was recently working away listening to some hip hop when a classic Talib Kweli track came on. Expansion Outro from the album "Train of Thought". If you don't have it you should really go out and buy it... if not the album hit itunes and get the track! Give it about 1:15 before it starts... then he comes in with lyrics that only give you a brief understanding of what he was thinking when he wrote the track.

He starts explaining an old Nina Simone track called 4 Women, Get that too if you don't have it, and turns the discussion into his version of the song. The song explains the lives of 4 Women. A slave, The daughter of a slave who was raped by her master, a teenage prostitute runaway slave... or so that is what you think if you only took the words for what they were. I see the entire song as a metaphor...

The song breaks down the lives of these 4 women with so much definition of pain and personal understanding that you can envision these women as they walk through life. What got me is that I could picture someone I knew in each one of those verses. No I am not black, but enslaved is another question. Given to poverty... we shall rise!

"...Chasin' the real brothers away like she confused in the brain."

Yup, know one of them.

"She tried to get in where she fit in
on that American Dream mission paid tuition
For that receipt to find out her history was missing and started flippin
Seeing the world through very different eyes
People askin' her what she'll do when it comes time to chose sides"

Know one of them.

"She lived from nigga to colored to negro to black
To afro then african-american and right back to nigga
You figure she'd be bitter in the twilight
But she alright, cuz she done seen the circle of life. Yo!"

Know a few of them...

I guess it is frustrating to me because sometimes, you just can't help. The realities of life is that this is still going on today. Poverty, slavery, prostitution, drugs, crime, teen pregnancy and the list goes on. History repeats its self... or maybe just never changes in the mind of the individual. This song gave me a new perspective of what some people have experienced in life. It also gave me many hours of reflections. Thinking of all of the people I have crossed in my life caught up by what these women went through then, today. I saw the metaphor. Then I realized, we are the metaphor. Me, you, Talib... I would've loved to have met that woman who was 107. But you don't need to go that far to meet someone who has dealt with racism and hate like that. Not in Long Beach. I'm sure not in many parts of the world. That is another conversation. Another idea. Another time.

Right now my frustration is Talib Kweli. A Yo Kweli! So why did you come with so much heat and passion on your first solo album with hi-teck but fell off with them other shits? I still copped them other shits you put out on the strength! Yo... I turned 21 at your Root Down Show in 2000 L.A.. I was down with you sun! I just don't understand what was able to push you away from making soul music like your version of 4 women... lets not even get into the heat you came with on Black Star or the other tracks on this album. But now we see you blinged out kid. "Respiration" should be enough for you to drop into the ipod and take you back sun.

"It's a Small Wonder, like Vicki, why I'm picky
These niggas suck like hickies, and still get to slip they shit in like Mickies"

Come on kid... all I am saying is bring it back home for the team. Them commercial kats don't understand. Even your boy Mos Def said it in his "The New Danger" album.

"Put ya hand down youngen this is not for you!" - Mos Def / The New Danger

Yo... bring it back home B! Or next time be wise with them metaphors... I guess what they say is true... Not the messenger, but the message. This may be an old album... but it still gets air time no doubt! More than any of that shit they play on the radio... Hell, more than any of your new albums cause I can't say you did me right with them. I will always support, but as a fan that helped push you out of the Rawkus closet I feel I have some say in that shit at this point. You see me Kweli. Stop bullshittin with them hooks and come with some "passin the mics like quaterbacks, of course its phat" type shit. I would hate to resort to downloading your album next time around simply because you didn't come with the heat... once again. Yo, that 4 women track made me wanna paint, spread the sound, share the metaphor, I played that shit for so many people and had them read the lyrics as they heard the track just so they can get some understanding in life. Now I play them other kats music. I know you don't, but just incase, don't sleep on them hi-teck tracks and Mos Def collabs. You need that shit like tables need needles!

Word up sun! Come through in the clutch!

"Cause no matter the weather, niggaz be needin cheddar" - GURU / Havoc

"I call my nigga sun cause he shine like one" - Method Man.

Sense Offense

Sense Offense

The Message Not The Messenger

I created this space in order to help spark ideas in different people as well as myself. The idea is to start something someone else can finish and your message will be twice as strong. I have been inspired by many things in life that have brought me to where I am today. Music, Art, Communication and Politics. I think it is important to express your thoughts. Perhaps you might not know the right person or people to create change, but sharing the idea or concept with the public might make it possible for those who do to be inspired and take action. "Each one teach one", "Pay it forward", "Sharing is caring". If music can inspire me to learn more about politics, education, capitalism, dictators and the list goes on, then perhaps I can inspire the same change by expressing what I have learned from being inspired by my influences in everyday life.

My background is in the arts. I started with graffiti, then moved to a digital format. Now I create everything from "Street" communications for Urban Clothing Companies and "Corporate" communications for different players in the High-Tech, Financial and Insurance Services. I have even done work for Ford Motors and FoxSports.com in the past. Who would have known? Did they know? Did they care? Growing up in a dangerous neighborhood vandalizing public and private property for fun as a youth. Escaping bullet shots nightly and drug dealers daily. I experienced violent deaths in my family as a child as a result of gang violence. My family migrated to this country from another over 25 years ago and had to start all over with nothing. My parents shared dinner plates when we first moved here. Now they own a home, businesses and have 4 children, 2 grandchildren and a wealth of knowledge from having to convert to a new way of thinking. Combine these struggles with the disability to communicate with the general public as well as their young children who did not share the same language. Barrier after barrier and I am now getting paid top $$$ as a Self Employed Creative Director. All of this sparked by my parents learning of better opportunities for them and their family in a place they had never even seen. Inspired by change. That is the idea...

Well, now I feel like I should give back to what was given to me. I was inspired so I hope to do the same. If all it takes is a little time to type up some thoughts, a few clicks and "there you have it" then why not? The more information we publish online the better. Perhaps at least my truth will be published and I will never have to answer another survey again. This should be enough to understand my perspective. Consider it general, from an immigrant who changed his odds by being inspired. Nothing more nothing less. Oh... And for the records. Not republican, not democrat, not green, not defined. Perhaps if we stopped labeling our views, we would better understand the other's perspective. I believe it's considered "Revolutionary".


Revolutionary
adj.

1. Marked by or resulting in radical change: a revolutionary discovery.

n. pl.

1. A supporter of revolutionary principles.

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