Clarence Jones

I know at that time, I was starting to want to go to school and get out of the streets and make better on myself. I don't know what that would have what that would have looked like, you know, at that age, probably not. But, you know, who knows when I was 40 or 50, would I have wanted to start doing acts of service and giving back in some sort of way?

I know at that time, I was starting to want to go to school and get out of the streets and make better on myself. I don't know what that would have what that would have looked like, you know, at that age, probably not. But, you know, who knows when I was 40 or 50, would I have wanted to start doing acts of service and giving back in some sort of way?

I would like to hope I can say yes, but I can't even honestly say yes because at that time, it's just self-preservation, right? It's self-preservation by any means, you know, whether that's carrying a gun, whether that's something, whatever it is, I have to get my next meal. That's how I was wired, you know?

I would like to hope I can say yes, but I can't even honestly say yes because at that time, it's just self-preservation, right? It's self-preservation by any means, you know, whether that's carrying a gun, whether that's something, whatever it is, I have to get my next meal. That's how I was wired, you know?

Can I say something? Yeah, absolutely. I think our society has not been taught to really appreciate and embrace what prevention is. As a society, the medicine is always in the candy. We don't treat people before they get sick. We treat people when they are sick. We have to really, like, come to a universal kind of understanding of what is safety, you know?

Can I say something? Yeah, absolutely. I think our society has not been taught to really appreciate and embrace what prevention is. As a society, the medicine is always in the candy. We don't treat people before they get sick. We treat people when they are sick. We have to really, like, come to a universal kind of understanding of what is safety, you know?

Because in my household, or growing up, or probably, like, for lack of a better term, anyone, right, is like, you know, if I put my gun up in the closet behind this shoebox, it's safe because my kid can't reach it. But they don't think about, oh, will that kid get a step stool and get curious because they just want to see what's up there. They don't think about that, right?

Because in my household, or growing up, or probably, like, for lack of a better term, anyone, right, is like, you know, if I put my gun up in the closet behind this shoebox, it's safe because my kid can't reach it. But they don't think about, oh, will that kid get a step stool and get curious because they just want to see what's up there. They don't think about that, right?

And we're not taught to think like that as a society. We're taught to think about things when it actually happens. So, like, me growing up in the inner city, you know what I mean? We had metal detectors going to my school. All the way down to our bottom. We had to take our shoes off. We had to clap our boots. And we had to walk through the metal detectors every single morning.

And we're not taught to think like that as a society. We're taught to think about things when it actually happens. So, like, me growing up in the inner city, you know what I mean? We had metal detectors going to my school. All the way down to our bottom. We had to take our shoes off. We had to clap our boots. And we had to walk through the metal detectors every single morning.

So we had to get to school like an hour, a half an hour early to walk through metal detectors in order for us to get to class on time. Yeah. So when these school shootings happen in these suburban neighborhoods, I'm like... They don't have metal detectors? Like, that's what we think. But they don't because what people think, right?

So we had to get to school like an hour, a half an hour early to walk through metal detectors in order for us to get to class on time. Yeah. So when these school shootings happen in these suburban neighborhoods, I'm like... They don't have metal detectors? Like, that's what we think. But they don't because what people think, right?

Because they're white or because they're in an affluent neighborhood, they're safe. They don't have to worry about guns. But for us, we get wanded. We have metal detectors every day, which, hey, it kept us safe and I'm happy. But just look at that. They took for granted their safety, but They don't know that they actually saved our lives by also stereotyping us.

Because they're white or because they're in an affluent neighborhood, they're safe. They don't have to worry about guns. But for us, we get wanded. We have metal detectors every day, which, hey, it kept us safe and I'm happy. But just look at that. They took for granted their safety, but They don't know that they actually saved our lives by also stereotyping us.

They saved our lives, but they didn't do the same thing back home. And that was impacting them the most. Yeah, you make a great point. Yeah. So, you know, we have to really focus on prevention as a society. We have to understand that prevention is worth investing in. You know, whether it's insurance companies, whoever it is, we have to really focus on prevention. You know, so.

They saved our lives, but they didn't do the same thing back home. And that was impacting them the most. Yeah, you make a great point. Yeah. So, you know, we have to really focus on prevention as a society. We have to understand that prevention is worth investing in. You know, whether it's insurance companies, whoever it is, we have to really focus on prevention. You know, so.

You know, I think it's hard in certain areas. And I think why I could perceive it being hard in like my community is because we're impacted by gun violence so much that it may be perceived as now you're just teaching my kid how to use a gun. Like, I don't know. You know what I mean? And that's the disconnect. I think it really takes for...

You know, I think it's hard in certain areas. And I think why I could perceive it being hard in like my community is because we're impacted by gun violence so much that it may be perceived as now you're just teaching my kid how to use a gun. Like, I don't know. You know what I mean? And that's the disconnect. I think it really takes for...

people who could really identify with these intersecting identities that can really come in here and really speak to people about, hey, we need to... Some people are going to do it anyway. I used to always say this to my mom. When I was growing up, I used to smoke weed. I used to smoke marijuana a lot. So a lot of the times when I got arrested, it's because of smoking weed.

people who could really identify with these intersecting identities that can really come in here and really speak to people about, hey, we need to... Some people are going to do it anyway. I used to always say this to my mom. When I was growing up, I used to smoke weed. I used to smoke marijuana a lot. So a lot of the times when I got arrested, it's because of smoking weed.