No, Not All Men...

I remember being fourteen, walking to the store for my mother. Dope boys were hanging out. I used to be scared passing by them. It never failed... every single time I walked by, or any other young girl for that matter, they'd try their best to convince one of us to "cut summin." If you're from the A, then you know "cut summin" is short for "let a n*gga f*ck or summin."

Every last one of them knew I was underage and that didn't deter those overgrown ninjas from trying me.

There was one, his name was Sean, who asked me my age. I told him. I remember he looked at one of his friends, the one who was adamant about trying to get me to talk to him and said, "N*gga, she fourteen. That's statch."

At the time, I didn't know "statch" was street slang for statutory rape. But I do remember the rest of them laughing and saying, "it ain't if she's down for it" or "not if I don't get caught." Sean turned his lips up and looked at those other predators like they were stupid.

Again, he repeated, "N*gga, that's statch. That's a kid, n*gga."

More laughter. One dude said, "she built like a woman, though."

Sean said, "No the fuck she ain't. She look like a kid, n*gga."

I just remember Sean being so damn appalled. Sean had a mouth full of white gold and tats over his body all the way up his neck. But Sean was not with the shits. Any time I walked to the store, Sean was respectful. Sean opened doors for me. Sean kept his boys away from me.

About a year later, one of his friends had impregnated a 9th grader. I still see that girl today. Her daughter is half her age. Last time I saw Sean was when I was sixteen. Those Alphabet Boys jumped out on him and his crew. I was sad to see him get taken down. Yeah, he was a menace to society because he was pushing drugs on the corner. But Sean was the only man on that corner who had enough damn sense and pride to not prey on me and other young underage girls.

Out of about ten men, one stood up and asked, "what the fuck wrong wit'chu, n*ggas? That's a kid."

And yet... Sean still hung out with them. While he may have been appalled by their actions, he still partied with them. He still got money with them. Those were STILL his boys...

So, no, not all men, but enough of them...