Comments on: Pimped-Out & Peddling: Childhood Interrupted

By: FAYMOUS FYA

FAYMOUS FYA — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:23:19 +0000

I HATE TO SOUND “THE CRAZY PANTHER” HOWEVER, FOR YEARS WE AS BLACK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNDER SPIRITUAL ATTACK, EFFECTING THE INTEGRITY OF OUR SOULS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR MINDS, AND OUR OVERALL INTEGRITY.THE LAST PART IS ON SUCH A SPIRAL DOWNWARDS THAT A WHOLE HEARTED APPEAL TO GOD IS NEEDED TO ASSIST US IN FIGHTING THIS BATTLE AND SLAYING THIS ENEMY.OUR BABIES PEOPLE OUR BABIES. I PRAY THAT THE ONES IM RESPONSIBLE FOR NEVER HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO DEMEAN THEMSLEVES SO EARLY.

By: chelobello

chelobello — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:20:35 +0000

I am guilty. Riding the train on a slow afternoon I often lift my head above my slumber to the sight of a lil dude asking for attention as he provides “a entertainment” (as he says). Whether he’s doing the new “light foot” dance or taking it old school with a break dance routine, if the performance makes me crack a smile, I happily shell out some coins in the overturned baseball hat.
As a wannabe performer/artist, I admire the boldness in some of these youth. I understand the qualms about panhandling, but I believe there is sincerity in a few of these youths who aren’t just looking to beg, but are taking advantage of a valuable resource- a live, unadulterated audience.
Am I terrible?

By: maria

maria — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:35:49 +0000

I see this all over Boston, but didn’t know it was done all over the country. I wrote a letter to Mayor Menino about 2 years ago because I always saw young children under the age of 10 standing at a very dangerous intersection asking for money. It was supposedly for a fundraiser, but those children had open cans and they had no visible adult in site watching them. By the way, this same intersection is a place for drug addicts and homeless people. I wrote twice to the mayor and never received a call back, no letter, nothing. I know for a fact this wouldn’t have happened with “suburban” kids if you know what I mean. People aren’t outraged, but why? And where the hell are their parents?

By: Nyota

Nyota — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:50:18 +0000

The Heene family aka the parents of the Balloon boy are by far the best example of pimping and peddling children..just wanted to throw that into the mix.

By: clarahallow12

clarahallow12 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:37:48 +0000

That is like, the saddest thing. And what people never seem to realize is that these kids really don’t have anyone showing them just how wrong that is. All the people who could’ve mentored these little black kids and been there to show them more than just the BET lifestyle, all leave. They always do. I remember how when I was little, I had my parents always telling me that we were the future and we had to do better for our people. Because our parents instilled that in us, we knew better. Nowadays, no one’s telling these kids that. You know what these kids are being told? That they have to “hustle” and get rich so they can “marry becky” and be a gangsta.

By: UrbanGypsy

UrbanGypsy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:33:12 +0000

Lmao @ bum rush!!! I know it’s sad but I forgot about that saying. It is sad though. Those kids are totally neglected by society.

By: Nyota

Nyota — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:58:44 +0000

Very true! I’ll never forget when I was bum rushed after leaving Shoprite one day to donate money to some organization to “help the kids”. So out of curiousity I asked for a flyer on the organization or a phone number so I can donate at my own time after researching them. I attempted to call the number and it went to a wrong number at a private residence. I googled them and no organization under that name even showed up!

By: Glennisha Morgan

Glennisha Morgan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:54:23 +0000

Love it! I can’t stand to see children bum-rushing me when I come out of the bank asking me to buy candy to “support their basketball team”. The candy never even looks fundraiser size.Then there is always some adult on the side line chewing the children out… It’s a mess. I’m glad somebody wrote about this.