Bobby P.,

Glad you didn't get hit, BUT....with all due respect, what were you thinking? The place you knew doesn't exist anymore.And even without the local spike in violence, a Labor Day cookout (at night?) in the hood is NEVER a good look.

One day I was in a bind,and on the road... stopped off at the public library on Alexander Street in Newark to make a photocopy and a local dude tried to "Chris and Snoop" me. Asked me how to get to South Orange Avenue, like I was a lost tourist.

Outsiders have a right to judge these hoods and the people who live there. One thing that they will never know though, is how they would have fared, survived, and made it out of some of these places if they were brought up there. We can both answer that question for ourselves because we did it.

As arrogant as people tend to be, thinking they did things on their own, the truth is that nurturing,support and values given to us by the ones who helped raise us...plays a big role in what we make of ourselves.

I know people who succeeded despite having NONE of that, but like you said...not having that puts anybody at a big disadvantage.


*Hope that was some good barbecue for you to risk your neck like that.