Poverty is the Gun / ComEd: Beware of Scammers / Where Has the Time Gone?

Building Generational Leaders PUBLISHER'S PEACE Where Has the Time Gone? Another thing that annoys me is people that forget where they came from. I Like Tweet Pin +1 Subscribe Building Generational Leaders For the latest menu options, please CLICK! (Paid AD) NGLC Leadership Luncheon Partner. CLICK for details! (Paid AD) C. Dwayne West PUBLISHER'S PEACEWhere Has the Time Gone? Another thing that annoys me is people that forget where they came from. I was recently having conversations with a few of my peers, and they started to criticize the youth today - saying things like 'When we were their age we didn't act like them. They are more this or that.' The one thing I take great pride in is not forgetting where I came from, who I once was, and how I got here 'today.' This Halloween I heard those statements from some folks who were annoyed because their cars were bum-rushed with eggs. I laughed. They were not laughing, of course, until I took them down memory lane as we chatted more. They openly admitted their own misdeeds back when they were teens, especially during the annual trick or treat season. I was the first to admit that I did my share of layered dirt. I was that little nappy headed, disobedient teen who had a flip mouth. But I was a leader..... and all the kids in my hood followed me. So when Halloween came around, I gathered my adolescent posse and we tossed my mother's eggs at speeding buses and cars. We rung doorbells and ran. But the most disturbing thing that we did was to put on mask and take little kid's trick or treat goodie bags. Now that I look back, that was cruel. My thought though was that each kid could get another bag and repeat their door knocking hustle. That particular youthful indiscretion only lasted one Halloween season. One of my hood homies' little brother, who I knew well, recognized me behind my mask and told his very big brother. After he located me and beat me down, I retired from snatching bags on Halloween. This past Saturday, I saw some shorties throwing eggs at passing cars on my block. I just peek out the window and watched for a moment. One of the three noticed me and they started to run. That showed respect. But I figured they would probably come back so I kept an eye open for them. When I saw them walking pass my crib, I stepped out and chatted with them for a moment - letting them know that I did the same thing. Just don't let this (ILL) kind of mischief become what you become, I expressed to them. They seemed to be good little hood boys, and I enjoyed chatting with them. It was the highlight of my Halloween, since I decided to stay home this weekend after a very busy previous weekend of galas, dinners and fundraisers. Talking with them took me back down memory lane. As I stated, I chilled at home thinking about my life, especially as a youth - and how I got here. I replayed so many experiences in my head. I recalled my entire life while watching NBA hoops. Of course, I thought about my hoop dreams. I was a damn good player. And I'm sure someone out there can vouch for my high basketball I.Q. and skills, as well as my tough nosed approach to playing football. I had great hands - I caught everything that came my way. And for my skinny size, I was a hard-hitter as a free safety. I wonder where all the time has gone? I sit back often and think about, again, how I got here and what could've been - if I had not been mentored by multiple older dudes in my hood. I could be somewhere else. It was playboys and gangsters like Stanford, Vince Powell, Don Starks, Ed and Don Kelsey, Big George Montgomery, Earl Powe, Bruce "Prince" Palmer, Geno, Todd & Rudy Powell, Melvin Jones, Mike Adams, Ken Crump, Sr., Horace Howard, Jr. and the entire Drew family, as well as my big brother (Tommy). These were the dudes who told the gangs to stay away from me, even when I was attracted to gang life. They grabbed me by my neck and told me they had better not ever see me outside the park (Tuley Park) borders kicking it with the hood rats, who lived on my block and were also athletes playing on some of my teams. These were the crucial times that helped to develop my arrogant walk today. I owe them and many more a serious debt of gratitude. I still associate with some of these men. While Chicagoans were out wearing their favorite customs at Halloween parties, I was cooling-out sitting at the computer scripting these Works of Words, thinking to myself; where has all the time gone? But I'm thankful - regardless of where ever it has gone! Peace and One Love. I Write to Differ... NOTE: On tomorrow (Tuesday) TBTNews '25' will present people who continue to strive for greatness and who inspire others. There are four people listed in Politics, six in Business, five profiled in Community Service, two in Sports, two in the Entertainment industry, four in Education, two Religiouspersonalities and one Youth who also made the list. There are a few honorable mentions. Hope you enjoy! Of course, agree with, or dispute the list respectfully. - CDW Gus Savage TBTNEWS ALERT Former Congressman Gus Savage, 2nd Illinois, died on Saturday. He was 90. Elected in 1980, "Gus", as he was known, by friend and foe, championed the fight against Ronald Reagan's "trickle down economics." Congressmen's Savage's passage of the Department of Defenses 5% Set-A-Side for the than traditional definition of minorities remains as the largest set-a-side in the history of the United States. Legislation Gus sponsored was responsible for the creation of theRalph Metcalfe Federal Building. This Federal Building still stands as the highest percentage of Black Contractors to ever build a Federal Building (40%). Funeral arrangements are pending. R.I.P. GREAT WARRIOR - Vincent Gilbert PLEASE CLICK FOR INFORMATION! (Paid AD) CELEBRITY TRAFFIC Monument of Faith Church Pastor Richard D. Henton's funeral Saturday at the House of Hope Church was attended by clergy, business people, elected officials, community leaders and his many loyal supporters of his thriving ancd progressive congregation (Photo: Melanie L. Brown) PLEASE CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS (Paid AD) Kanu Iheukumere TBTNEWS COMMENTARYWhen it Comes to Chicago Violence, Poverty is the Gun Special Correspondent: Kanu As Chicagoans struggle to come to grips with intractable violence in black and brown neighborhoods, occasionally distracted by debates over what to even call this phenomenon (think: Chiraq), Kanu Iheukumere, chief policy and research officer at Bethel New Life has been addressing the root cause: Poverty. He was recently featured in Crain’s Chicago Business, where he explained the intersection of violence and social terror, and lack of opportunity. Home to nearly 2,000 gun violence victims this year, Chicago is in the grip of an epidemic afflicting poor communities: We've allowed the symptom—gun violence—to be mistaken for the underlying systemic problem,poverty. Poverty is the Gun: Poverty blocks new business creation, makes dead ends out of efforts to create jobs and divests of public education, while killing, stealing and destroying families. Poverty is the gun aiming its scope on the black and brown; arming the shrewd few as they dupe the disenfranchised many into fighting the wrong battles. Poverty sends communities into a cycle of concentrated isolation and maddening chaos. In Chicago, we have failed to develop sustainable remedies to revitalize marginalized communities because we've been distracted by symptoms rather than going after the root cause: lack of access to economic on-ramps and reticence of leaders to foster bold solutions. Consider the windy rhetoric wasted on whether filmmaker Spike Lee should call his movie Chiraq, a moniker we've earned by repeatedly failing to act comprehensively through robust public-private partnerships. Poverty flourishes when education reform shortcuts, such as the rush to the unproven, disruptive force known as charter schools, substitute for real achievement. Real guns hurt when young people have no place to play or be enriched by cultural programming. Symptom management will never solve poverty. And we don't need a Katrina, either. To face the gun down, government officials, the private sector and community leaders must develop scalable and replicable strategies to change the fabric ofpoverty..... (This is part-one of a two-part series written by Kanu) PLEASE CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS (Paid AD) Andrea Zopp TBTNEWS HEADLINE REMINDER TONIGHT! It is our responsibility to put the best candidate in office for US Senate. Come meet Andrea Zopp, Monday, November 2, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm atGallery Guichard, 436 E. 47th Street and learn why she is the best candidate deserving your vote. Complimentary cocktails, wine & hors d'oeuvres provided. For details on how to attend, call 312-854-8018 or RSVP to rsvp@p2consultinginc.com. Hosted by Frances andAndre Guichard and Stephen Mitchell. PLEASE CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS (Paid AD) POWER TO THE PEOPLEComEd Reminds Customers to Beware of Scammers and Frauds Treat yourself with these helpful tips to avoid tricksters: During the season when many people dress up in costumes for fun activities, ComEd is reminding the public to beware of unwelcomed solicitations by tricksters who pose as utility workers and usually target customers through door-to-door visits and phone calls. With the door-to-door scams, someone impersonating a utility worker will visit customers’ homes looking to get personal and/or account information, and in some cases enter into the customer’s home. Variations of the phone scam include stories that the customer’s billing cycle has changed and payment is needed immediately; the account is past due and immediate payment is required to avoid disconnection of service; or that the customer’s previous payments were not accepted or processed. In those cases, the scammers instruct customers to buy a prepaid credit card and direct them to call back with the personal identification number (PIN). “During a season where we’re accustomed to seeing people in costumes, ComEd cares about the safety of our customers and we want to raise awareness of these door-to-door scam artists who try to unfairly target people all year long,” said Fidel Marquez, senior vice president of Governmental and External Affairs, ComEd. “We want our customers to be informed and avoid becoming victims to this type of scam. If customers are ever unsure about the authenticity of a utility worker at their door or over the phone, they should contact ComEd or the police immediately.” ComEd also wants to remind customers that representatives from the company always carry proper identification and never ask customers for cash or personal financial information. Customers can avoid being scammed by taking a few precautions: • Never provide social security or personal information to anyone initiating contact with you claiming to be a utility representative or requesting you to send money to another person or entity other than your local utility providers. • Always ask to see a company photo ID before allowing any utility worker into your home or business. • When in doubt, check it out. Be skeptical of individuals wearing clothing with old or defaced company logos. If you have any doubts, ask to see a company photo ID. • Never make payment for services to anyone coming to the door. • If customers ever have concerns about the status of their account, they can contact ComEd at1-800-EDISON1 Anyone who believes he or she has been a target of a phone scam is urged to contact the Illinois Attorney General’s office toll free at 1-800-386-5438 or visit the Illinois Attorney General’s web site at www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov and click on the link “Protecting Consumers.”