Ignorance

The N word was peppered throughout their conversation. In between recapping what their boys were up to, they commented on their bitches. "Yo, my cousin has an older bitch. She's gotta job, money, she's all educated and shit." "Man, my bitch be on me about stupid shit. Sometimes, I just can't deal with all that in my ear, she just coming at me with bullshit. I take care of my son. But she always got something to say." Two young black men discussing their lives. I sat across the aisle from them on the train. I made eye contact and looked at them as only a disappointed "sistah" could. What happened? Why were they so comfortable with disrespecting themselves and others out loud? "Yo! My boy was at the strip joint, he had mad bitches all over him. You know he was hanging out with ____ from the Nets. He was making it rain!" They both laughed and nodded in unison - something they could picture and be proud of, I guess. I couldn't help but study them. With their football gear in tow, I assumed they were still in high school. They were oblivious to the fact that everyone around them was in tune to their conversation. Some women rolled their eyes. Some passengers buried their heads in their newspapers. Barely men themselves, how could they be raising kids? What would they teach their sons? At 72nd Street, a couple of women and their two young sons (maybe five years old) got on the train. The little boys were into their Game Boy, they were playing some kind of Sponge Bob game. Their attention was focused on the game. I watched them as they coached each other, and added extra emphasis here and there. When their game was over they diverted their attention back to their moms and the activity on the train. The two young men, were wrapping up their conversation on what they would be doing this weekend and were about to part ways. One guy stood up and gave the other one dap. I think the football gear caught the attention of the two little boys and they looked up at the young man. "Alright my N____. I'll text you later. I'm headed to my bitch's crib." I'm not sure if the little boys heard everything they were saying but I watched them. I thought about how these little boys would be looking up to the young men in front of them. Kids look up to other kids. No, all young men are not like these two young men. I'm sad to see even two young men behaving this way. What happened along the way, to make it cool to be ignorant?