by Hayden An Excerpt from Dear Society Whose right is it to subject those under their power to abuse with the sole purpose of establishing dominance? Fathers? De nitely not. Sadly, this occurs often in our broken world. Abuse is a dif cult yoke to bear. It festers into an obscene picture, often hidden by its perpetrator. If left unhandled, trauma from abuse can cause people to treat their past as a curse. They may nd themselves unable to function without blaming their upbringing as an excuse for failure. Being a stubborn person, I’d rather use my past as a reason
Continue ReadingAuthor: mpau@thebeatwithin.org
What is my Belief System?
by Tam Huynh My belief system today is the result of years of rebuilding my life, from the once negative beliefs and values I chose when I joined a gang. My joining the gang pushed the belief system and culture of my Vietnamese de ance, and terror. It was the cost of believing this was that caused me to retaliate for being jumped by a rival gang, and kill an innocent man. Today my belief system is built upon these basic principles: A. Higher Power Spiritually B. Living Animals C. Family and its legacy D. Self-Empowerment E. Moral Inventory F.
Continue ReadingVOLUME 23.07/08
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingThe Beat Within and It’s Readers
by Julias Humphrey Let me rst say Thank You for publishing my words for other people to read, especially our young. We all must understand their position in the adversity of life today because it is much harder for them in contrast to when I was a child which brings me to my topic – the “School-to-Prison Pipeline”. What’s the main causation and how do we stop it? Along with this writing you will nd a copy of the response I recently received from President Barack Obama. I wrote him concerning his visit to El Reno Federal Penitentiary (in Oklahoma).
Continue ReadingKeep Staring
by De They look at me and wonder, is he all the way there? They can’t understand me so they sit there and stare They listen to your story, make it seem like they care But then write you up for some shhh that ain’t fair Sometimes I give up and gotta catch myself Stand up like a man and adjust myself I ain’t even gonna worry, not gonna stress myself I’ll make it out of here so I could bless myself The ones you thought would accompany you always Could switch up so fast, you wouldn’t know they’re gone
Continue ReadingVOLUME 23.05/06
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingMy Intro
by Jeremy Willis Hello, my name is Jeremy Willis and I am incarcerated in Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, California. I was talking to two of my friends in here and one I’ve known for 12 years now and they both write articles and poems for the Beat Within. They talked me into letting you know my story with hopes that it will change at least one person’s thinking about being in a gang or doing drugs. I was in a lot of group homes in the East Bay for the rst ten years of my life and at ten I
Continue ReadingAnxiety
by Young One The greatest challenge I have to deal with is anxiety. My anxiety keeps me up at night and worrying all day. I haven’t found anything to help my anxiety except sports. But as soon as that’s over, it comes right back. When I suffer from my anxiety, I get anxious and it’s hard for me to function. I try not to cry and stay strong, but at nighttime I tend to cry and struggle in the sense that I’m by myself and no one can see me at a weak point. And when something big comes up,
Continue ReadingVOLUME 23.03/04
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingMy Message to You All
by Trey L. Pike “To have once been a criminal is no disgrace. To remain a criminal is the disgrace” – Malcolm X. Many of us are caught in the cycle of incarceration. Is crime about decisions or is there more to it? For those who believe you have made a change in your life, what helped you to transition into becoming a responsible citizen? For those in the process of transformation, what do you need to help you get out of the criminal lifestyle?” I am 24 years old, covered in tattoos, just paroled from the “notorious” High Desert
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