Lesson 2 On How Not to Get Shot by the Police or Authorities

From Chicago Tribune Aug, 9th:
Boy's shooting angers crowd
Cabrini-Green neighbors protest police action, tell of the frustration of gentrification

Cry me a river. The other day Cabrini Green Public Housing residents protested the shooting of an armed robbery suspect who refused to drop his weapon. Ok, so the weapon happened to be a BB gun that looked like a .45 caliber handgun and the suspect happened to be a 14 year old boy.

There was no way the police could know that the gun was a BB gun or that the boy was only 14 years old. Neither of these really matter if you ask me. First of all, it doesn't matter how old you are if you are pointing a gun at someone you are likely to get shot. Second, BB guns are also illegal in the city of Chicago for this very reason and even BB guns can harm or maim another person. Third, what the hell does gentrification have to do with anything?

Gentrification sucks for people whose property taxes skyrocket over a years time and they have to move out to make way for yuppies and their Starbucks laden strip malls but we are talking about people who live in public housing. This means they either have a fixed rent of let’s say $40 per month or they pay nothing at all. If someone is going to give you next to nothing housing don't bitch about it when they say you have to live somewhere else for free. Beggars can't be choosers. So let's just drop the whole gentrification frustrations for now.

If you do not want to get shot by the police, adhere to the following rules:

1.Don't carry illegal weapons such as handguns or BB guns
2.If you do carry one of these weapons and a cop tells you to drop it then do it
3.Don't point your BB gun or any other type of a gun at a cop who is pointing his gun at you
4.Don't commit cribes such as robbing someone at gunpoint, even if it's with a BB gun
5.Don't commit crimes 60 feet away from a brand new police station
6.Don't commit crimes underneath or in the view of CPD surveillance cameras
7.Instead of standing on the corner robbing people, hang out at the library which is a block away and air conditioned
8.If you live in a crime ridden housing project and think cops are racist, don't do things that make them want to shoot you such as robbing people and pointing guns at them.
9. Choose someone positive as a role model; don't choose Tu Pac or 50 cent as they also got shot
10.Parents, don't buy your kids guns and don't raise them to be someone who robs little kids

Most importantly: DON'T BRING A TOY TO A GUN FIGHT!

Neither being 14, complaining about having to move away from your free housing or carrying weapons, will ever keep you from getting shot from the cops; my rules however, will.

The kid is still alive and when he comes out of it I can assure you he will tell you the same things I am telling you. I'll bet the next time a cop tells him to drop his weapon he does it. So there is some silver lining to all this as I am sure he has learned his lesson. I too have learned a lesson; a lesson in Darwinism.

There is no charge for this consultation. I hope it has been helpful and will keep you and your kids from getting shot by the police.