ANERAE BROWN SPEAKS ON LIFE (3/20/12)
"Every day in prison is a struggle. It takes a huge effort to stay in good spirits day by day. The politics and inner-workings of the system make it difficult to embrace positivity and rehabilitation. It's all set up to encourage inmates to behave like animals. That makes it an incredibly difficult place to learn and grow in.
I was 17 years old in 1992 when I was arrested for gang-related homicide. I was young, immature, and extremely dangerous. All of my active male role models were gang members and drug dealers. My parental guidance was zero. I was out in the streets seeking love and respect, and I was willing to kill to get it. I went on trial for 187 in 1996.
I didn't know how to feel about my crime or the victim in my case. I tried to act like it was all good. We rode for the set; basked in the glory from other idiotic maniacs. That's how I got through my trial. "It's Garden Blocc Crip. F*ck it. Ride or die." I had that mentality for nearly a decade and a half. From George H.W. Bush to George W. Bush's first year in office, I tried to be heartless on behalf of the C.
I'm 37 years old now. 20 years removed from that 17 year old kid who thought he knew everything. With all of those years of gang banging and death behind me, my question to everyone is, was I supposed to stay that way? To the people who say, "Oh well, that's what you get." Was I supposed to stop growing and go through the rest of my life with the mindset of a 17 year old gang banger? Was I supposed to embrace that darkness even when I realized it was all a mistake?"
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