The Homeboys Myth!

Trip out Homeboys, there exist a fucked up deceitful myth being spoon fed to American society. A myth made up by government and law enforcement. A myth diffused by a complacent media. A myth implanted in peoples’ minds and swallowed up as the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

This myth holds to the idea and belief that the Homeboys are a bunch of uneducated, ignorant and unproductive members of society.

To a great extent, mainstream society holds on to this view and classifies the Homeboys as something less than human beings. It views them as an undesirable cancer which needs to be exorcized from society.

Mainstream America tends to buy into this myth and contents itself with an image of the Homeboys which depict them as violence prone killers and drug dealing thugs, scum of the earth addicts.

This image goes on to add-on the idea that Homeboys are nothing but a bunch of unemployed freeloaders. A vicious throng made up of stick-up bandits and thieves.

The myth goes on to add the grandiose lie which asserts Homeboys as irresponsible sons, fathers and husbands.

So on and so on, the list can go on.

The assumption is made that a Homeboy is of little or no worth to a modern progressive civilized society, and under this critical view, the myth becomes a gigantic force which propels laws to be enacted against the Homeboys and allows for their rights as free individuals to be trampled on by this so-called benevolent Democratic Republic.

I however not only disagree with this unreal and distorted view of the Homeboys, but I also question the sources and motives behind such a mythological image.

Why?

Because even though there is some truths involved and valid arguments made against the Homeboys to an extent, these however “fail to recognize and take into account the vast majority of the Homeboys”; that same vast majority of Homeboys who do not fit under such unbefitting stereotypes and un-informed phobias.

Stereotypes and phobias which mainstream Americans have become victim to under their own egoistic self-worth appraisal.

Mainstream America instead has grown complacent with the lies and contents itself with the “myth”; thus it has failed to involve itself in the communities which it claims to have an interest in.

The Homeboys are a reflection of Society . . .

The Homeboys are a reflection of America!

Indeed, the Homeboys get high, but so does America as a whole, be that from a legal or illegal source and supply.

True we wheel and deal, but don’t forget we also have bills to pay and we Homeboys too suffer from materialistic mylitis . . .

. . . Remember, even the C.I.A. has played the dope running game
Iran-Contra and Air-America just to name a couple of the most recent case examples.

Law enforcement claims that the Homeboys are killers and have a propensity for violence..

Victims of Cain I say!

Has not civilization been built on warfare?

Have not many a government been forged through conflict and battles?

Have not societies attained power through inclusion and exclusion of populations?

Power knows no limits and recognizes no rules!

Many arguments can be made indicating to the fact that the Homeboys are a product of a modern capitalistic society, but that is not where I’m heading with all this ‘cause such arguments would only distract from the point I wish for us to focus on . . . and that is . . . that contrary to popular belief “the Homeboys are indeed HUMAN! And as such, they too also conduct themselves as “productive” individuals, full-fledged members of society.

The vast majority of Homeboys are neither natural-born-killers, nor lazy-ass freeloaders.
We are neither idiots, nor ignorant S.O.B’s.
In fact, we are caring fathers and loving husbands.
We are passionate artists and musicians.
We are skilled technicians and service professionals.
We are hard working dedicated employees and many are business entrepreneurs.
We are students, apprentices and journeymen.
We are community socializers, and even neighborhood psychologists.
We are providers and survivors.

The playing cards dealt to us in the game of life detours us through dangerous paths; nevertheless, we remain productive dream seekers, dedicated to the pursuit of happiness. We suffer from that same ambition for success; the same which the world has been infected with from time immemorial.

Like everyone else, we stray and we stumble, yet we continue and strive to go straight.

Be may that our experience come from the streets and our neighborhood lifestyle, yet even under such we remain contributors to a productive society.

We buy and we sell!

Isn’t that what keeps the economy strong?

Every day, Homeboys continue to “climb up” from the disadvantages imposed on us by that same discriminatory society which suppresses us under the label of criminals and excludes us as and undesirables.

Even so, we “HOMEBOYS KEEP ON” taking up jobs as they come; performing all kinds of services and gaining experience as we carry on through the hardships of life; becoming proficient at whatever task is set before us.

Many Homeboys continue on and set their eyes on higher education. They go on to become Teachers, Contractors, Business Owners and even White-Collar Professionals. . .

Still they remain “Homeboys”; maybe not full-fledged active “gang members” per say, nevertheless, they remain “From the Barrio/Hood”.

Why?

Well, that’s another subject and another topic for another day.

The point is “Homeboys are not the evil entities” which law enforcement and the popular media makes them out to be!

We are Homeboys whom hold much love and carry big dreams for our loved ones.

We are Homeboys full of hopes and aspirations for a better future.

We are Homeboys with a huge heart for camaraderie and friendship.

We live, we survive, we dream, we strive and we work; from school to school, from job to job, from profession to profession!

We continue to participate in the everyday struggles of “humanity”.

We Homeboys are not monsters, at least, not anymore than any of you are. . .

We refuse to put on a jacket made up of falsehoods!

I have traveled a long arduous journey in my existence, and that journey has led me to encounter people from all walks of life. Throughout that journey I have never failed to meet up with “productive Homeboys”.

I’ve met them as gardeners and I’ve met them as laborers.

I’ve met them as blue-collar working men and I’ve met them as service professionals.

I’ve met them as military men and I’ve met them as public servants.

I’ve met them as managers and I’ve met them as business owners.

I’ve met them as artists and I’ve met them as musicians.

I’ve met them as clergymen and I’ve met them as missionaries.

I’ve met them as students and I’ve met them as educators.

I’ve met them as activists and I’ve met them as revolutionaries.

I’ve met them as friends and I’ve met them as co-workers.

I’ve met them as dedicated family men and I’ve met them as respectful neighbors.

The “Homeboys are everywhere”!

You don’t just find them in the prison system nor just under a drug stupor.

Homeboys indeed conduct themselves as “civilized” and “productive” individuals; a conduct that destroys the “myth” bestowed on them by the powers-to-be.

The Homeboys are not the monsters portrayed in Hollywood films.

The Homeboys are also not the sadistic killers written about in newspapers.

The Homeboys are not the anti-social animals depicted in law enforcement propaganda.

The Homeboys are not the creators of a violence-prone society; and they are not the progenitors of evil.

The Homeboys are in fact, no more and no less perfect and human than anybody else is!

Thus, the Homeboys as such are guilty only of having chosen to create their own lifestyle, their own version of society!

wow wolfman you wrote this?

There is alot of issues, and claims, and pieces to this post. Some of what is said I might challenge, but overall I gotta say I really liked it. Good stuff

yeah, i trip a lot sometimes.. lol

ey, but by all means.. go ahead and throw in your disagree withs

Well I guess one thing that struck me is that every group of people has a steriotype against them. Its not just homeboys who get looked down on, or misunderstood. There is some negitivity associated with gang members, but I think anytime someone is part of a group there will always be someone else who will be there to critaisize it ya know?

I really liked what you said at the end about making their own version of society. I got to learn about that in my Sociology class, and its amazing how whenever somone strays from the norm even in a non harmful way, it ruffles peoples feathers so to speak.

I was wondering though. What would you call the sub group of homeboys that ARE into drive bys, drugs, and that stuff?
For instance I'm a white girl, but then people who have behavior that is generally not approved of we call white trash.
So if homeboys is actually a positive label, what would you call the people who are homeboys but are not productive members of society?

One other thought, is that as I was reading the post seemed to be conflicting itself. On one hand it was saying how homeboys are not the hussleing monsters people make them out to be; but then on the other hand it talks about how the gov. runs drugs and other groups that are not looked down on do the same things as homeboys-which is like justifying the behavior saying its ok for homeboys to sell drugs because, hey the gov does it to so that makes it alright.

These were just some thoughts I had reading the post. Hopefully I haven't misinterpted or taken out of context the material to badly.

MissL wrote:

One other thought, is that as I was reading the post seemed to be conflicting itself. On one hand it was saying how homeboys are not the hussleing monsters people make them out to be; but then on the other hand it talks about how the gov. runs drugs and other groups that are not looked down on do the same things as homeboys-which is like justifying the behavior saying its ok for homeboys to sell drugs because, hey the gov does it to so that makes it alright.

.

Its the government itself that is conflicting itself, isn't it? If you put a gun to someones head and force them to give you their money, if you get caught then you go to jail. yet, the government can get away with forcing us to pay an income tax, and get away with it. I can't speak for what Lonewolf is saying exactly, but the way I took it and the point I think is being raised is, that "Homeboys" are human beings too, diverse just like any other people. That their is more to it than one side that you normally hear that may lead an outsider to imagine them as nothing but savage animals who only fall under one negative catergory that might even dehumanize .