Courage To Walk Alone

Due to the senseless, recent death of my grandson in New York it gave me a renewed appreciation for positive-minded kids, and got me thinking a lot about all of the positive kids out there who are doing their own thing and have no desire whatsoever to join a street gang.


Over the years as a youth advocate, I’d spoken with lots of lost kids who were at the crossroads, where they’re not sure if they want to join their neighborhood gang or not. When I was in Los Angeles in 2002, I remember having a one-on-one session with this big, muscular, tat-covered 15 year-old who got really upset with me because I’d told him that it was a sign of weakness to join a gang because it means that you’re too afraid to walk alone.


I could see his face tighten as he thought that I was insulting him by calling him ‘weak’, but I went on to tell him that when you don’t need a gun or a group of others dressed in similar clothing around you to make you “feel like a man” then you’re already on a good path towards manhood. As he got up in protest to walk out the door I further told him that it takes more courage to walk alone than to join a gang. He rolled his eyes and slammed the door as he left.


About a year later in 2003, this same big, thuggish-looking kid was one of many kids along the 26-mile route, cheering me on as I ran the LA Marathon to raise money for the I Have A Dream Foundation – LA Chapter. After I’d crossed the finish line, he excitedly told me that he’d re-enrolled back into school and he’d promised his mom that he wouldn’t ever join a gang. *(Update: Today, this gentleman is now a certified auto mechanic, married with 2 kids, and a homeowner in San Diego. He keeps in touch with me and calls me ‘pops’)


If any of you have friends and family who are currently dealing with a younger family member who maybe associated with a street gang, or maybe possibly at the crossroads, please try, in your own unique way, to get the message across to him or her that joining a gang is a sign of weakness, and that true strength and true courage happens when you do your own thing and you’re not afraid to walk alone.


After building up a bit of trust, some kids will be willing to listen but most will not. As a youth advocate, I’ve learned that you can’t change the mindset of a kid, only they can do that, but what you can do though is plant positive seeds into their heads and simply show by example how you’re living your life.


If a troubled kid is willing to listen, I try to explain to them that gang leaders love to recruit school dropouts because they’re easier to control, brainwash and manipulate because their minds are somewhat empty and they can’t think for themselves. That’s why I always encourage kids in gang-infested neighborhoods to stay in school and please don’t quit. Also, I remember trying to tell another kid that joining a gang will ‘limit you’ because gangs only associate themselves with one or two colors, and they only associate themselves with a certain street or two, or possibly a small section of town. Whereby, in contrast, those who walk alone associate themselves with all colors of the rainbow and they have the whole world, not just a limited area around the block. 


Walking alone isn’t easy, but at least you know that the whole world is yours. – Randolph Randy Camp

Something To Read

Over the weekend I'd visited someone and noticed that there wasn't one piece of reading material in her house. Ever since I became involved with the I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION in Los Angeles quite a few years ago I made a promise to myself that I would do whatever I could to ensure that a household had some type of reading materials around regardless of the family's income level. Especially if there were school-age kids living there I would go out and get a magazine, children's book, comic book or a paperback novel.

Without offending my friend, I told her that I was going to the local library to purchase some old books for her kids. Most local libraries take older books out of circulation and sells them to the public for 25 cents and 50 cents per book. I got lucky and found a bundle of kid's books in decent shape at the branch library only four blocks away and my friend's kids were delighted to get their new gifts.

Over the years, especially after working with at-risk youth and low-income families involved with the I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION in LA, I've noticed a big difference in a kid's attitude towards school and life in general, if and when they have a sincere interest in reading. A kid's world becomes brighter when they start reading. Period. - Randy Camp

Learn more at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp 

Don't Drop Out! Grab A Book!

It saddens me whenever I learn of a kid dropping out of school because I know that the chances are high that he or she may trade their schoolbooks for a gun. And gang leaders just love it when their neighborhood has a high percentage of dropouts because it gives them a good supply of non-thinking followers. We must do whatever we can to keep our kids in school and not let them become easy prey out on the street.
I constantly meet concerned adults who tell me that they really want to do something to make their street, their block, or whole city better, and they often say something like “I want to help make my block safer but I’m just one person, I can’t make a difference.” And then I happily tell them that I used to think that same way quite some years ago, and then I became an absolute believer in the fact that one person can certainly make a difference. My beliefs changed when I’d handed a female gang member a book and she told me a couple years later how that book had changed her life. - Randolph Randy Camp


RCstories' Children's TV Series

HARRY'S FIELD is an animated, children's fantasy TV series. The series centers around a magical flying school bus named Eagle Wing, which transports kids from urban areas to an enchanted, colorful place called Harry's Field, where they learn about nature and our environment from a variety of jovial, talking animals and plants. TIME OUT TIME IN is another very lively and engaging animated, children's fantasy TV series created by Randolph Randy Camp. In a very entertaining and colorful manner (without being preachy), the series encourages young kids to use their imagination while simultaneously teaching them about life's virtues, such as the importance of being polite and kind to others. All works registered with the Writers Guild of America, East. Learn more at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

The Legend of Three Trees

THE LEGEND OF THREE TREES

LOGLINE: A country boy with extraordinary powers helps to free a terrified community of a notorious street gang and becomes their hero.

SUMMARY: Abandoned as a baby in the backwoods of rural Virginia, young THREE TREES inherited a mysterious power. Gifted with an uncanny sense of strength, both physically and mentally, Three Trees was often misunderstood. Being poked and prodded as a research guinea pig took its toll on Three Trees. With the help of a concerned nurse, Three Trees escaped from the life of a lab animal and headed on a journey to find his true purpose. On his journey, Three Trees learns a lot about himself and discovers the ugly side of humans. Settling down in the seedy side of a big city, Three Trees helps to free a terrified community of a notorious street gang and becomes a legend in the process.

The Legend of Three Trees, Original Draft Screenplay, US Copyright Reg# Pau 002992813, Writers Guild of America, West (WGA,W) Reg# 1095196, Author: Randolph Randy Camp

Learn more at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

Make A Difference, You and I, One by One

Posted on December 11, 2013 by rcstories1

Several years ago I became a mentor and an advocate for at-risk kids. I remember asking this one particular kid why did he own a gun, and his response was “Because it makes me feel like a man.” And at that very moment when he said that I knew I had to work with this kid. After several months, the kid and I managed to get to the root of his issue, and we both realized that his gun was merely just a shield to hide behind because he was so ashamed that he wasn’t good in school, which led him to drop out. It took some time but eventually I had convinced him to get rid of his gun and re-enroll into the alternative school program.
I’m bringing this up because in Buffalo, New York, unsolved criminal cases involving guns and shootings are seemingly becoming an accepted and an expected reality within certain communities. And that troubles me and we have to do something about it.
There’s a particular stagnant case in here Buffalo that I’m concerned with so I called in a favor to get a closer look at some of the behind-the-scenes details. Personally, I wish that city, state, and federal officials could work more closely together and share their progress with one another instead of being sort of competitive because fighting over proper jurisdictions only slows and stagnates an investigation. And I must say though that it’s truly frustrating for both the innocent parties and the law enforcement officials involved with the case to have a primary and secondary suspect in mind but they can’t seem to get any witnesses within the community to come forward to identify the shooter in court.
This is why I have a strong devotion towards working with young people, especially those young people who are brainwashed and saturated with these manipulative beliefs that permeates within certain minority communities. It bothers me greatly whenever I see a T-shirt or hear a young person say “Don’t Snitch” or “Snitches get Stitches.” Ironically, some of the same scare tactics that the plantation owners used to keep slaves in line are the same manipulative scare tactics gang leaders use in our neighborhoods today.
Whether I’m giving a book talk in front of a classroom, or at a bookstore, or having a one-on-one, I absolutely love every opportunity I get to speak with a troubled and sometimes aimless youth. And I always point out to them that twisted phrases like “snitches get stitches” can only work on people who don’t think for themselves and people who tend to be followers. I also try to make the point that how can we tell and teach our little kids to make sure that they tell someone, a parent or another trusting adult, if someone is touching them inappropriately — and then, a few years later, these same kids are getting confused because they’re bombarded with “don’t snitch” and “snitches get stitches.”
In my little humble effort in trying to make a difference, I really try to drive home the crucial point to kids at risk that certain people involved with criminal activity and who may have a high status within a street gang can only survive if they continually recruit non-thinking followers to do their dirty work for them. And one of the best ways to combat this problem is to teach, inspire, and motivate these kids at risk to grab a book and try to learn how to gain more confidence and think for themselves, so that they don’t have to be a mindless follower anymore.
It saddens me whenever I learn of a kid dropping out of school because I know that the chances are high that he or she may trade their schoolbooks for a gun. And gang leaders just love it when their neighborhood has a high percentage of dropouts because it gives them a good supply of non-thinking followers. We must do whatever we can to keep our kids in school and not let them become easy prey out on the street.
I constantly meet concerned adults who tell me that they really want to do something to make their street, their block, or whole city better, and they often say something like “I want to help make my block safer but I’m just one person, I can’t make a difference.” And then I happily tell them that I used to think that same way quite some years ago, and then I became an absolute believer in the fact that one person can certainly make a difference. My beliefs changed when I’d handed a female gang member a book and she told me a couple years later how that book had changed her life.
So, even though these unsolved cases, such as the shooting case here in Buffalo, are frustrating, we can still try to make a difference in our own little humble way, you and I, one person at a time, one by one.
(PS: I want to sincerely thank all of you across America and around the world who have taken the time to write to me. I can’t even begin to tell you what that means to me and how grateful I am to you. Every day I get numerous messages and letters from you that truly humbles me.)
– Randy Camp

Learn more at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp