SO YESTERDAY I just happened to stop in at a local movie theatre near where I live, and bought a ticket for the latest "Barbershop" movie (Barbershop: The Next Cut). I must confess I am a "white boy" and the ticketman looked at me with raised eyebrows as if to say "Why is this white boy coming to see this black movie?" Well, to be honest, when I was growing up in Grand Rapids Michigan (a few hours form Chicago) I first went to a public school in the early 70's with integrated classrooms, and had just as many black classmates as white. Of course at that age I didn't think or know that this was somewhat NEW to America. I thought it was NORMAL. And at that impressionable age, it has LASTED with me forever. I am now 49-years-old but still think of being among blacks just as normal as being amongst whites. The only time I feel abnormal about it is when blacks may be racist themselves and wonder what this "white boy" is doing here. And sometimes Latinos who are doing security etc activate the "alarm" when it shouldn't be. By the way, I am now in southern California, so I see every color and ethnicity on a regular basis wherever I go . And if I go back to Grand Rapids, iif I run into some of my black classmates they will treat me like a friend, and vice-versa.
Anyways, this was the first barbershop movie I've seen. As a Christian I do not particularly like the crude sexuality that is included in the film, but apart from that I was pleased that the F-Word was not used in every other sentence. It was used, but only a few times for the sake of emphasis, not regularly for the sake of offending people.
But most importantly, the big takeway was the importance and value of ALL LIVES and in particular in Chicago especially, black lives as the KILLING KEEPS HAPPENING. I don't know the statistics (yet) butI will try to find out. As I was watching the movie, I told myself, "I NEED TO START A STOP THE KILLIN IN CHICAGO " BLOG, since I blog on numerous topics and issues of various import that effects our world, country, and local areas: the good, the bad, & the ugly. So, here I am, one day later, starting the blog dedicated to keeping people aware of the GIGANTIC GUN & GANT & KILLING PROBLEM in the city of Chicago, Illinois.
I remember going to Chicago on a periodic basis growing up in Michigan. sometimes to Cubs games, or to the various museums, or to visit family members, and the Sears Tower, etc. And my mom grew up partially in Evanston. So I have some affection for the city based on my childhood experiences and still occasionally visit as an adult.
And so here is my prayer for Chicago's killin fields. Lord Jesus Christ we pray for Your Presence in Chicago, and for the young "gangstas" and the good families, and the parents and their children, and the leaders, pastors, churches, priests, and everybody else in Chicago. We pray for them to come together to stop the killin'! Let there be unification for the sake of the kids. And let the hardened hearts of those who think they need to kill, be softened. Let the LIGHT shine thru ! Hear our prayer, Lord: Father-Son-Spirit!
And this blog will have periodic updates: educational, informational, prayerful, and news updates about problems as well as progress. GOD BLESS CHICAGO !
