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Without reading the book I can make some observations because one thing I learned from some young black men that I have encountered and observed, is that their "Big Mommas/ Grandmas/Mother-dears" hold a special place in their hearts. Usually because these women have raised or at least helped to raise them. So they can relate to a kindly white haired old women in a certain setting. I remember hearing about a case where an elderly victim of a home invasion reported that she was spared being raped by one of the young intruders when his companion objected to his molesting someone who could be his grandmother. It wasn't too long ago when I was more spry, that my kids used to chide me for going around to barbeque joints and shrimp houses and chicken shacks to pick up carryouts because these neighborhood places were frequented by loitering young homeboys. But their fears proved groundless because these dudes were always polite to me, opening doors, occasionally allowing me to go ahead of them in line, making small talk, saying "yes maam" and "no maam". Smiling and making eye-contact with them seem to turn them into shy guys happy to have pleased or accomodated a harmless old lady who did not look drastically different from Jane Chritchlow. I have no doubt that if I'd asked one of them to pose for a picture with me they would've agreed, throwing an arm around my shoulder, tilting their head toward mine. One of my own grandsons is a homeboy type, an outside child of my son, he is the kid who hangs up under me the most. While the others are busy achieving, he's working part time at White Castle but, like a lot of his buddies, he loves his gran-momma and Lil Wayne, loves to pick my brain and run errands for me when he's broke so he can earn money for loosies (cigarettes sold 2-for-a-dollar under the counter since in Cook County Illinois, the price of a pack of cigrettes is almost 10 dollars!) So far he's managed to resist the gangs. I can only hope. That's the tragic thing about so many of the younger generation of young black males is that there are 2 sides to them. They are just as capable of being kind as they are of being killers. You see their mug shots in the papers after being arrested for drive-bys, hear their families describe them as good kids, marvel at how young and innocent they look. But somewhere along the way they have lost their footing and the streets have won the battle for their souls... Yet another curse visited upon black America, who can't seem to win for losing.