The Shooter's Saggin' Shorts

The shooters saggin' shorts were duct taped

before he was allowed back into the game.

Duct tape and discipline give young people a better shot in life.

          During the summer months when lethargy and idleness become gateways to risky temptations, several inner city organizations turn up the heat of opportunity. Urban Christian Ministries has been keeping kids busy for over forty years. Block Club Basketball brings young people and their communities together for some good old teamwork and sportsmanship. Lessons are learned, discipline is taught and friendships are made.

          There is a "No Rump Rule" during Block Club Basketball. That means you are not allowed to let your shorts sag down and reveal your rump. Do I need to explain that any further? There are many things in a young person's life that can cause saggin' self respect. Certain customs that have been firmly entrenched in the consciousness of generations of families become acceptable and almost honorable. Going to jail is considered a vacation. A tear drop tattoo is a medal of honor for killing somebody.  The history of saggin' pants revolves around prison inmates who've lost their self respect. Lack of self respect has become an acceptable character trait exhibited by millions of young men who are fatherless. Every man is called to be a father. Every woman is called to be a mother.

          Saggin' pants and the "No Rump Rule" are a result of young men not learning how to be fathers. They haven't learned how to be a father because they haven't had a father. I visited a young man in jail last month. While I was there, he was looking on the prison database to see if his father was in the same jail. He hadn't seen him in years and he was still trying to meet up with his Dad. He's twenty one now and facing over twenty years in jail on Federal charges. When he was fifteen years old, I was driving him to school and he thought he saw his Dad driving by. He said he hadn't seen him in years.

          Self respect is taught through discipline and love. You need to have a relationship with someone before you can speak into their life. Urban Christian Ministries has been speaking discipline and love for over four decades. That's the same amount of time that many of our young people will spend in jail if we don't show them a father's love.

Thanks for your time.
Go do something nice for somebody.

Bob Kuebler

Founder / Mentor Force

Mentor Force is an organization of initiators.
We help young people who are at risk of leading impoverished and violent lives.
We teach teachers, mentors, coaches, parents and youth leaders how to build healthy relationships that make young people feel valued. Our goal is to ensure that every student has the benefit of being guided by a Mentor. If we can help you reach your potential as a Mentoring organization please contact us:  

716-830-8240 

 mentorforcebuffalo@gmail.com. 

www.youthwithapurpose.org

We are available for school assemblies and educator conferences.