Guns and Youngstas -- Three Youth Perspectives
YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia and New America Media, Youth Commentaries + , Geanise James, Lil' E and Lil' Chopper, Feb 14, 2006
Editor's Note: San Francisco recently passed a law banning the ownership of handguns; across the Bay in the Berkeley hills, a teen was stabbed at a party attended by more than 100 young people. New America Media contributor Geanise James, 16, remembers a house party she threw with her friends in Oakland that ended in gunfire. Lil E, 16, talks about why he doesn't carry a gun right now, and Lil' Chopper, 17, explains why he does. All are writers for YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia.
THEY'LL TEAR YO' HOUSE UP -- WHY I'LL NEVER THROW ANOTHER HOUSE PARTY
BY GEANISE JAMES, 16
OAKLAND, Calif.--My godsister B.J., who was 14 at the time, and I threw a house party about four months ago. I hadn't been to a party in a cool minute, so I thought it would be fun to throw one.
(3m 54s, mp3, 4.5MB) Download File
The party was on 96th in deep East Oakland. It was chaperoned by my Mom, godmother and my godsisters. It didn't really take us long to plan because we already had a spot. In order to prepare for the party we had to get the stereo and speakers from my next door neighbor and move them from apartment #5 to apartment #2 and hook it all up. Then we went to Bayfair Mall in San Leandro to cop us a little fit and some shoes. We got our hair done, even though we knew we were gonna sweat it out dancing. We bought refreshments, mostly sodas and juice. We also bought a few sticks of deodorant because somebody was guaranteed to be musty! We spent about $180 a piece on everything.
We let people know about the party by handing out flyers in the 90s and 70s blocks and at Bayfair, Southland (Hayward) and Eastmont (East Oakland) Malls. We didn't hand out many because we knew the word would get around. We knew there was going to be a lot of people that we didn't know there, but I wasn't trippin'.
When people started showing up, they came in groups. There were about 100 people there at the most. About one hour after the party started, it started to crank. I saw a few people I didn't like there but I wasn't trippin' as long as they didn't say nothing to me. The party was fun because I got reconnected with people I hadn't seen in years.
Everybody was dancing and going dumb and that's what made the party fun. We was slappin' Mac Dre, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Aaliyah, Mystical, Mr. Cheeks, Juvenile, Ashanti, Ja Rule and some mo sh--. The party went bad when people started bangin' turfs. Everybody crowded the back of the party and started to throw their turfs up. They started pushing and shoving on each other and eventually somebody started fighting and making threats, basically talking that big sh--. There was people disrespecting each other's turfs, niggas saying "fu-- the 70's," "fu-- the 900's" and things like that. All kinds of fights broke out.
Next thing I knew, people were shooting up in the air and people were falling on the floor and screaming. My first reaction was to look for my little sister Kenisha, who was about 10 at the time. I didn't want her in the party in the first place but my momma said it was OK for her to come. I was scared for both her and me. Luckily, nobody got hurt. After the shooting, we told everybody to get the fu-- out and they did as they were told.
It's really hard to throw house parties in the East because something's bound to happen. Somebody's gonna see someone they don't like and it's gonna be a wrap. I think people start to act crazy because they feel like they have to prove to others that they're not a sucka. They shoot in the air because they think it's cute and they want to appear hard. It's disrespectful to them when people are saying: "Fu-- your turf." They think they must react because if they don't, people will think they're a noodle.
My advice for throwing a party is to make sure it's supervised and to have everybody checked in case somebody's strapped. I think boys carry guns to parties in case they see somebody that they're funkin' with. They bring guns for protection or to bring them a sense of relief. I would never throw another house party again because it's too much work. Afterwards, you have to clean up and nobody wants to help. Throwing a party is not worth getting hurt or losing my life. The party life is not for me, not at this point of my life anyway. Just supervising a party takes a lot of work because kids nowadays are disrespectful. They don't listen and they will tear your house up.
GOT THANGS?
BY LIL' E, 16
OAKLAND, Calif.--Out in the streets, youngsters call guns/straps "thangs" and use them to get money, but mostly to protect themselves. Now in 2006, there's already been, like, 11 murders in Oakland that were caused by guns. If you don't have a gun then you better be cool out in the streets. I know people who sell and hold guns and they don't play about it when it comes to getting down with a gun.
(3m 05s, mp3, 1.9MB) Download File
One of my patnas has a thang on him every day, and every function he goes to, he brings one. He brings his thang to parties in case someone wanna act stupid and pull theirs out. And let me tell you, when you pull something out today, you better have something with 30 rounds because niggas nowadays ain't playing when it comes to thangs. I done seen sh-- I thought I would only see in the movies.
Back in December, I went to a function and the people we knew up there had some problems with us. One of my patnas had a big thang in the car. It had an infrared sight on it, with an extended clip and his patna had a 45. So one of the guys that had a problem with us pulled out a little 9mm and he was just sittin' there, like we was gonna leave. While he was sittin' there, my patna went to the trunk and got his big thang and he walked back to the party and waved his thang in the air. My patna was like: "Y'all niggas don't want it!" And his patna did the same with the 45. All of a sudden, there was some cars ridin' hella fast down the street and they tossed some thangs to the people who we had funk with. All of a sudden, my patna pulled me to the side and we heard hella cars swervin' and we just cut and hit hecka fences. I ripped my pea coat and cut both my hands up. Then when everything died down, we got in my car and cut. I think they started chasing us but I'm not sure. I just got out of there.
I don't carry a gun because I'm on probation and I don't want to ruin my chance to get off any time soon. My cousins, nephew and patnas tell my I should get one when I get rims on my car. Every time I go to a function, I feel I need a gun because people be plotin' on you. They always be trying to start sh--, knowing they got a gun. I don't have to have a gun to feel brave. I've had thangs pulled on me so many times that I just ain't gonna trip if it ain't big, but I still stay on my Ps and Qs when I see one.
WHY I NEED A GUN
BY LIL' CHOPPER, 17
SAN FRANCISCO--I feel I need a gun to survive on these streets because it's what protects me from all these haters in Hunter's Point. I know the police ain't gonna protect me, so I gotta protect myself.
(3m 43s, mp3, 2.6MB) Download File
Nowadays you barely see a fist fight, and that's only if one gang catches a member from the other gang slippin'. Instead, kids kill each other. For example, if a kid had a fight and he loses, he's going to the block to go change his clothes and get his gun.
Wherever niggas don't feel safe, that's where they carry their straps. People carry all type of straps -- whatever they can get their hands on. The main guns they carry are choppers. If you don't know what that is, it's a shotgun. That's only at nighttime when a nigga's ready to go on one. In the daytime there's mainly handguns, such as 22s, 45s, 9s and glocks. They carry them in a backpack or on their waist.
People either buy these guns from people in the neighborhood or off the streets. They also get them from older family members or older people period, for protection. I guess that's because the older loved ones know how it is in the streets of Hunter's Point. Even kids are selling guns on the streets. Just know that in the streets the prices on guns are much cheaper from the ones in stores. The reason I say that is because that's the way it goes in the streets. See what happens is before the person sells the gun, they do their dirt and then they slang it for a low price just to get it off their hands.
I'm in danger because of turf issues where I live in Hunter's Point. The young people who live in my neighborhood don't really have a choice but to be with a set or against it. A lot of kids who try to fit in or be seen, end up in the mix. Where I live there are mostly blacks and you rarely catch a rich person. If a rich person came to my neighborhood, they would be robbed or killed without a doubt. The reason this might happen is because people in my neighborhood don't have it like the rich folks. So in order to get it that way they would have to take it.
I also face danger from the police. Just because you live here and hang out, you're considered a bad person or a gang member. The police are waiting for you to do something wrong so they could shoot you, or fu-- you up. For example, if I was outside one late night and I reached for my phone just to see what time it is, they might pull up, get out and point out their guns at me. If you made a sudden move in this situation, they might shoot you. Like I've been saying, everybody's got a strap in my neighborhood and you got to watch out for everybody.
The handgun ban hasn't worked 'cause people are still doing the same thing they've been doing. It just makes niggas be more on their sh-- and try their hardest not to get caught up in the mix.
YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia and New America Media, Youth Commentaries + , Geanise James, Lil' E and Lil' Chopper, Feb 14, 2006
Editor's Note: San Francisco recently passed a law banning the ownership of handguns; across the Bay in the Berkeley hills, a teen was stabbed at a party attended by more than 100 young people. New America Media contributor Geanise James, 16, remembers a house party she threw with her friends in Oakland that ended in gunfire. Lil E, 16, talks about why he doesn't carry a gun right now, and Lil' Chopper, 17, explains why he does. All are writers for YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia.
THEY'LL TEAR YO' HOUSE UP -- WHY I'LL NEVER THROW ANOTHER HOUSE PARTY
BY GEANISE JAMES, 16
OAKLAND, Calif.--My godsister B.J., who was 14 at the time, and I threw a house party about four months ago. I hadn't been to a party in a cool minute, so I thought it would be fun to throw one.
(3m 54s, mp3, 4.5MB) Download File
The party was on 96th in deep East Oakland. It was chaperoned by my Mom, godmother and my godsisters. It didn't really take us long to plan because we already had a spot. In order to prepare for the party we had to get the stereo and speakers from my next door neighbor and move them from apartment #5 to apartment #2 and hook it all up. Then we went to Bayfair Mall in San Leandro to cop us a little fit and some shoes. We got our hair done, even though we knew we were gonna sweat it out dancing. We bought refreshments, mostly sodas and juice. We also bought a few sticks of deodorant because somebody was guaranteed to be musty! We spent about $180 a piece on everything.
We let people know about the party by handing out flyers in the 90s and 70s blocks and at Bayfair, Southland (Hayward) and Eastmont (East Oakland) Malls. We didn't hand out many because we knew the word would get around. We knew there was going to be a lot of people that we didn't know there, but I wasn't trippin'.
When people started showing up, they came in groups. There were about 100 people there at the most. About one hour after the party started, it started to crank. I saw a few people I didn't like there but I wasn't trippin' as long as they didn't say nothing to me. The party was fun because I got reconnected with people I hadn't seen in years.
Everybody was dancing and going dumb and that's what made the party fun. We was slappin' Mac Dre, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Aaliyah, Mystical, Mr. Cheeks, Juvenile, Ashanti, Ja Rule and some mo sh--. The party went bad when people started bangin' turfs. Everybody crowded the back of the party and started to throw their turfs up. They started pushing and shoving on each other and eventually somebody started fighting and making threats, basically talking that big sh--. There was people disrespecting each other's turfs, niggas saying "fu-- the 70's," "fu-- the 900's" and things like that. All kinds of fights broke out.
Next thing I knew, people were shooting up in the air and people were falling on the floor and screaming. My first reaction was to look for my little sister Kenisha, who was about 10 at the time. I didn't want her in the party in the first place but my momma said it was OK for her to come. I was scared for both her and me. Luckily, nobody got hurt. After the shooting, we told everybody to get the fu-- out and they did as they were told.
It's really hard to throw house parties in the East because something's bound to happen. Somebody's gonna see someone they don't like and it's gonna be a wrap. I think people start to act crazy because they feel like they have to prove to others that they're not a sucka. They shoot in the air because they think it's cute and they want to appear hard. It's disrespectful to them when people are saying: "Fu-- your turf." They think they must react because if they don't, people will think they're a noodle.
My advice for throwing a party is to make sure it's supervised and to have everybody checked in case somebody's strapped. I think boys carry guns to parties in case they see somebody that they're funkin' with. They bring guns for protection or to bring them a sense of relief. I would never throw another house party again because it's too much work. Afterwards, you have to clean up and nobody wants to help. Throwing a party is not worth getting hurt or losing my life. The party life is not for me, not at this point of my life anyway. Just supervising a party takes a lot of work because kids nowadays are disrespectful. They don't listen and they will tear your house up.
GOT THANGS?
BY LIL' E, 16
OAKLAND, Calif.--Out in the streets, youngsters call guns/straps "thangs" and use them to get money, but mostly to protect themselves. Now in 2006, there's already been, like, 11 murders in Oakland that were caused by guns. If you don't have a gun then you better be cool out in the streets. I know people who sell and hold guns and they don't play about it when it comes to getting down with a gun.
(3m 05s, mp3, 1.9MB) Download File
One of my patnas has a thang on him every day, and every function he goes to, he brings one. He brings his thang to parties in case someone wanna act stupid and pull theirs out. And let me tell you, when you pull something out today, you better have something with 30 rounds because niggas nowadays ain't playing when it comes to thangs. I done seen sh-- I thought I would only see in the movies.
Back in December, I went to a function and the people we knew up there had some problems with us. One of my patnas had a big thang in the car. It had an infrared sight on it, with an extended clip and his patna had a 45. So one of the guys that had a problem with us pulled out a little 9mm and he was just sittin' there, like we was gonna leave. While he was sittin' there, my patna went to the trunk and got his big thang and he walked back to the party and waved his thang in the air. My patna was like: "Y'all niggas don't want it!" And his patna did the same with the 45. All of a sudden, there was some cars ridin' hella fast down the street and they tossed some thangs to the people who we had funk with. All of a sudden, my patna pulled me to the side and we heard hella cars swervin' and we just cut and hit hecka fences. I ripped my pea coat and cut both my hands up. Then when everything died down, we got in my car and cut. I think they started chasing us but I'm not sure. I just got out of there.
I don't carry a gun because I'm on probation and I don't want to ruin my chance to get off any time soon. My cousins, nephew and patnas tell my I should get one when I get rims on my car. Every time I go to a function, I feel I need a gun because people be plotin' on you. They always be trying to start sh--, knowing they got a gun. I don't have to have a gun to feel brave. I've had thangs pulled on me so many times that I just ain't gonna trip if it ain't big, but I still stay on my Ps and Qs when I see one.
WHY I NEED A GUN
BY LIL' CHOPPER, 17
SAN FRANCISCO--I feel I need a gun to survive on these streets because it's what protects me from all these haters in Hunter's Point. I know the police ain't gonna protect me, so I gotta protect myself.
(3m 43s, mp3, 2.6MB) Download File
Nowadays you barely see a fist fight, and that's only if one gang catches a member from the other gang slippin'. Instead, kids kill each other. For example, if a kid had a fight and he loses, he's going to the block to go change his clothes and get his gun.
Wherever niggas don't feel safe, that's where they carry their straps. People carry all type of straps -- whatever they can get their hands on. The main guns they carry are choppers. If you don't know what that is, it's a shotgun. That's only at nighttime when a nigga's ready to go on one. In the daytime there's mainly handguns, such as 22s, 45s, 9s and glocks. They carry them in a backpack or on their waist.
People either buy these guns from people in the neighborhood or off the streets. They also get them from older family members or older people period, for protection. I guess that's because the older loved ones know how it is in the streets of Hunter's Point. Even kids are selling guns on the streets. Just know that in the streets the prices on guns are much cheaper from the ones in stores. The reason I say that is because that's the way it goes in the streets. See what happens is before the person sells the gun, they do their dirt and then they slang it for a low price just to get it off their hands.
I'm in danger because of turf issues where I live in Hunter's Point. The young people who live in my neighborhood don't really have a choice but to be with a set or against it. A lot of kids who try to fit in or be seen, end up in the mix. Where I live there are mostly blacks and you rarely catch a rich person. If a rich person came to my neighborhood, they would be robbed or killed without a doubt. The reason this might happen is because people in my neighborhood don't have it like the rich folks. So in order to get it that way they would have to take it.
I also face danger from the police. Just because you live here and hang out, you're considered a bad person or a gang member. The police are waiting for you to do something wrong so they could shoot you, or fu-- you up. For example, if I was outside one late night and I reached for my phone just to see what time it is, they might pull up, get out and point out their guns at me. If you made a sudden move in this situation, they might shoot you. Like I've been saying, everybody's got a strap in my neighborhood and you got to watch out for everybody.
The handgun ban hasn't worked 'cause people are still doing the same thing they've been doing. It just makes niggas be more on their sh-- and try their hardest not to get caught up in the mix.
