Notorious B.I.G. died after a drive by shooting on March 9- seven years ago this month. The end of his life sent shock waves through the hip hop culture and bled all over the nation through the media.

Eminem recently produced a song called “Runnin’ (Ready to Die)” which featured Biggie and Tupac. Part of Tupac’s lyrics say, “ ... misery is all I see, that's my mind's state. My history with the police is shakin' the crime rate.” These rappers are mentors for many young adults and their lyrics speak to a generation desperately seeking to avoid violence, much of which happens in their own classrooms.

Statistics on Violence
According to the Criminal Justice Resources School Safety and Violence report, about five for every 1,000 students were involved with violence. Four in 1,000 reported murders, aggravated assaults, sexual assault problems and robberies. In 2003, 135,000 kids brought guns to school, and one study reports that nearly 40 percent of students fear going to get an education.

Finding Alternatives
Because of these statistics, the Columbine incident and the fact that the school system is designed to control behaviors of youth, I plan to home school my children. I suggest this for any parent who wants to raise children who think for themselves. I’m not one of those people who thinks she knows more than all of her teachers, I just feel that the entire system has been misled, and our children pay a high price. School boards have not begun to try to understand why the troubles occur.

Understanding the problem, makes all the difference. The national organization called Criminon, a criminal rehabilitation program, has made efforts to understand the human mind and why some people seem to gravitate towards violence. They believe that people become violent after they develop self-loathing due to rejection by parents and peers.

Lyrical Misery
Part of Biggie’s “Suicidal Thoughts (Ready to Die)” lyrics say, “When I die, f--- it I wanna go to hell. Cause I’m a piece of shit, it ain’t hard to f---in’ tell ... All my life I been considered as the worst, Lyin’ to my mother, even stealin’ out her purse, Crime after crime, from drugs to extortion, I know my mother wished she got a f---n’ abortion. She didn’t even love me like she did when I was younger ... I wonder if I died, would tears come to her eyes?”

Likewise, the chorus to “Runnin’” speaks to several generations of thugs. It says, “You know, I wonder if they'll laugh when I am dead. Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight? Why am I trying to see, when there ain’t nothing in sight? Why am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try? Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die?”

Free your Mind
Criminon believes that understanding the mind helps in finding solutions to these problems. Back in the day, most people saw the mind as a complex tool which could never be fully understood. However, since the 1950s, we have seen more and more information which attempts to explain it all.

They believe that the mind is composed of two separate parts: the analytical mind and the reactive mind. The analytical mind thinks, observes data, remembers and resolves problems. This part of the mind does not make mistakes.

The reactive mind encompasses only two components: painful emotion and physical pain. When the mind experiences pain, the analytical mind is suspended and the reactive mind takes over. This is the facet of the mind which contains errors and violence. < br>

The reactive mind takes over when a person is fully or partially unconscious. Partial unconsciousness occurs when the person experiences pain or becomes restimulated by a painful activity from the past.

Because Crminon recognizes that the reactive mind causes good people to do bad things, they have learned how to control the negative impulses of the mind in order to rehabilitate criminals.

Lyrical Murder
When Notorious B.I.G. raps in “Niggas Bleed,” he says, “Today’s agenda ...You just remain as calm as possible, make the deal go thru. If not, here’s 12 shots, we know how you do. Please make yo killins clean ... Kill em and flee the scene ... Them cats we f---n’ wit put bombs in yo moms gas tank. Lets get this money baby. They shady, we get shady.”

While it is important to recognize that his rhymes define him as one of the greatest rappers of this time, it is equally important to understand that his violent lifestyle represents the way things are, not the way they should be.

Creating a Better World
Promoting peace was not a part of his agenda, but it can become a part of ours. Criminon believes that it has to start within each individual.

There are some ways to avoid violence while being restimulated. First, recognize that the problem is that the mind is not functioning properly. Walk away from the situation, and then go for a walk. Look at the surroundings to help bring the mind back to its analytical state. Make decisions once the mind calms down.

B.I.G. did not understand this, but we have the opportunity to do what we want with our own lives. Another excerpt from his lyrics say, “Sky is the limit and you know that you keep on. Just keep on pressin on. Sky is the limit and you know that you can have what you want, be what you want.”

He was on the right track when he said that. Personally, I agree with one of my all time favorite books which says, “The sky’s no limit.”

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About the author: Brooke Hadley currently writes freelance feature articles and has six years of professional writing experience. She currently lives in Austin with her new hubby and their son, Skylar Austin. They expect their next baby, Andrew Ashton, in November. Email Brooke Hadley: PersistentGerl@hotmail.com.

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