Nutter Takes to Church Podium to Lash Out at Teens

thank you

[Applause]

thank good morning church

morning let us first give honor to God

through whom all blessings

flow I have a couple things that I need

to share with you and Pastor Campbell

talked about how this came about this

was a conversation on Friday M Friday

evening Lisa and I were still away we

returned to Philadelphia late yesterday

evening I first want to start with a

passage and then I have some thoughts

that I'd like to

share 1 Corinthians

15

56 The Sting of death is

sin and the power of sin is the law but

thanks be to God gives us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ right

therefore my beloved be steadfast

immovable always excelling in the work

of the Lord because you know that in the

Lord your labor is not in vain

my brothers and sisters in

Christ I've tried to live by those

words in the course of my work in

service to the city of Philadelphia

serving the lord in each and every day

saying a prayer for all of us first in

the morning last thing at

night this of course is a great great

church the Mount carel Baptist Church

with a great great

leader the Reverend Dr Albert F Campbell

senior please recognize

him and he as he has done with me let me

also recognize our great mom mom

Campbell to the deacons and deaconesses

and the Board of

Trustees all the members and the groups

and organizations and I saw as they were

passing many of the members of the choir

many of you will recall that the

choir uh took off 20 some odd years ago

as soon as I got off the

choir they started singing a whole lot

better but I do thank them and many of

them

acknowledge our

connection I come today with a number of

thoughts and Pastor is correct we had

some general conversation he does not

know exactly what I'm going to say and

that's a testament to our

relationship it's a relationship that

goes back a good long way and some of

you have of course known for a long time

and some may be newer so let me just

share a little

bit the first time I came to mount Cara

Baptist Church was on May 12th

1985 I was working on a political

campaign

and many of us of course remember the

events of that day and the next day and

Philadelphia has not been the same

since it was the first time I came to

this church the first time I

heard Reverend Campbell

preach a year later in 1986 I joined

this

church I've been a member of this church

for 25 years I'm 54 years old

and know you don't see me all the time

and know I'm not here all the time but

let me assure you that I'm

around and I've been in this church on

some pretty important occasions for me

and my

family 25 years ago I became a

member 5 years later I walked down this

aisle in July of 1991

with Lisa

Johnson and we were married right here

20 years ago last month in Mount carel

Baptist

[Music]

Church people talk about

sustainability well that's

sustainability cuz anybody who can put

up with me for 20

years deserves something please

recognize my wife Lisa

[Applause]

4 years

later 16 years

ago our daughter was Christen here

you've seen her on a couple

occasions 5 years

ago in the summer of

2006 Reverend Imam Campell stood with me

on a portch from Parkside

Avenue where I announced that I was

running for

mayor when no thought that we had not

one chance

anywhere I'm in

church and about three and a half years

ago Reverend Campbell was on the stage

of the Academy of

Music participating in the inaugural

celebration on January 7th

2008 and we pray together many of you

may not know that Reverend Campbell

Reverend Allen Reverend good

have prayer with me on a regular basis

because in this

job you need some

prayer so we have a history we have a

relationship and what I also

know is that Reverend Campbell doesn't

have each and

everybody every Tom Dick and Harry up in

this

Pulpit so I recognize that this is a

very special

Granton and I also told him on Friday I

understand that I'm not the preacher of

the

hour this is first Sunday of August and

communion Sunday so I'm going to be

brief now I must say

first two things

one some of you may know

that 30

Americans died overseas

an elite unit of our

military and whether you agree with our

foreign policy or not I would certainly

ask that you would pray for the men and

women who risk their lives each and

every day to make sure that we can enjoy

the freedoms As Americans that some of

us seem to take for

granted they're serving their

country other people make the decision

about what they do and where they go but

they're doing their job yeah and

unfortunately one of those

30 is the son of a Philadelphia police

officer so I would ask that you would

keep all of them and especially that

Philadelphia family that's been

affected in your

hearts

now I'm going to say some things this

morning that I know from time to time

many of you

think but may not say M there will not

be

PC but I told Rend Campbell that I

recognize that I'm in church and I'm in

his Pulpit so I will certainly be

respectful on the other hand there are

some words that we know that are also

found in the Bible

yeah and I may use a few of

those Pastor mentioned that we've had

some

incidents in Philadelphia

the most recent of which was Friday

before

last 20 30 kids running around Center

City and it's happened in other parts of

Philadelphia as

well 16 a 17 a 19y old and yes an 11y

old and while I may have been out of my

office I was not out of

communication and I sent a message to

Police Commissioner Rams

the first thing that morning as soon as

I heard that report read that report

that we have to do

something we put our team together that

day to start working on some things and

so I want to share my thoughts the first

is this nonsense must

stop it must

stop if you want to act like a butthead

you butt is going to get locked

up and if you want to act like an idiot

move move out of this city we don't want

you here

anymore first I want to

apologize I want to apologize to all the

good hardworking caring people here in

this city and especially our good young

people here in

Philadelphia but I have to tell you this

morning that I am

forced by the stupid IGN

dumb actions of a

few that we will announce tomorrow

actions that we will take that

unfortunately will affect many here in

our

city parents get your act together get

it together get it together right

now you need to get hold of your kids

before we have

to parents who neglect their children

who don't know where they are don't know

what they're doing don't know who

they're hanging out with you're going to

find yourself spending some quality time

with your kids in jail

together

together now this stupid behavior

requires a strong response but I can

assure you that we are not just going to

be

responding we're going to be much more

proactive

in our activities and we're going to try

our best to anticipate some of these

senseless teenage insane acts that we've

been seeing over the past few

months

parents mothers and

fathers now I happen to know that

raising children is kind of

tough I've got two kids one of whom is a

teenager right now

if you need help we have help for

you Department of Human Services

community behavioral health and many

other social service agencies do not be

afraid do not be ashamed to reach out

and ask for help counseling guidance or

support but you need to get the help now

before it's too late for the help to

help you get some help

[Music]

now

fathers father

fathers fathers have a particularly

important role to

play not more important than

mothers but just as

important you know you're not a father

just because you have a kid or two or

three that doesn't make you a

father father is a person who's

around participating in a child's life

it's a

teacher helps to guide and shape and

mold that young person someone for that

young person to talk to to share with

their ups and their downs their fears

and their

concerns father has to provide

instruction to a young boy on how to

become a good

man a good man good man the father also

has to be a good role model help a young

girl be a strong

[Music]

woman now let me just say this if you're

not doing those things if you're just

hanging out out there maybe you're

sending a check or bringing some cash by

that's not being a father you're just a

human ATM right you're just an

ATM and if you're not providing the

guidance and you're not sending any

money you're just a sperm donor you're

just a sperm

donor you're what the girls call out in

the street that's my baby

daddy that's my baby

daddy that's not good

enough don't be that don't be that you

can do better than

that and you know

something that's part of the

problem in our community right let me

speak plain

that's part of the problem in the black

community and many other communities but

a particular problem in the black

communities we have too many men making

too many babies that they don't want to

take care of and then we end up dealing

with your

children we're not running a big

Babysitting Service we're running a big

government and a great City take care of

your children

[Applause]

[Music]

all of

them all of

them you know you're sitting around with

your jaws tight oh she got two three

other guys around well if you were doing

what you were supposed to be doing she

wouldn't be with the other two or three

guys in the first place cuz you would be

there taking care of all your

children now yeah you were around for

the

sex now be around for the

parenting be around for the parenting

cuz let me tell you

something the Immaculate Conception of

our Lord Jesus

Christ took place a long time ago and it

didn't happen here in Philadelphia so

every one of these kids has two parents

who were around and participating at the

time they need to be around

now ain't no m ception happening up in

[Applause]

here the parents need to step up for we

have to step to

you now

tomorrow at 12:00 noon on Dorth Plaza we

be making a series of

announcements got a ton of folks

involved in this effort it's not a one

time thing it's not a summertime

thing I heard a Child Say

[Applause]

Amen some of them smarter than some of

these adults

around tomorrow we're going to announce

a series of steps and actions that will

be taken yes sir some will be positive

some you won't

like unfortunately that's the way it

goes but some of the more positive

things we're looking at is

programs and services and activities at

our rec

centers other supports we may be able to

provide we're going to get our social

service agencies involved but also the

da will be more involved and the courts

will be more

involved now we took a whole lot of

stuff couple years

back and by the way every one of those

libraries is open tell your children get

a book read a book learn

something school will be open September

6th on Tuesday day after the Labor Day

spend the next month reading how about

to try that for a

[Music]

change whatever you do just stay out of

trouble think for yourself yeah don't do

stupid

stuff now some of you

know I grew up nine blocks from

here 5519 Larchwood Avenue

I'm going be West Philly no matter where

I live no matter what I do for the rest

of my

life before I ever heard of the

Philadelphia code or the Pennsylvania

code or any other code I was very

familiar with the Basel and Catalina

code as a code of my

parents now I have to tell

you when I heard this particular report

and we've had other

instances but it is inconceivable to me

in conceivable to

me that in my teenage years that I would

be out

somewhere let alone

downtown at 9:00 at

night impossible for me to

fa

because my mother

said

boy I know you have a

watch but if the watch stops working if

you forget the wind

if the battery breaks there's only one

thing you need to do look

up when that light goes on have your

butt on the

steps I don't care whether it's Easter

Standard Time Daylight Saving Time

Pacific time midatlantic time nor pole

time when that light goes on have your

butt on the steps don't let me have to

look for you now that's what she said so

it's really easy

real

simple and you know I know a lot has

happened in the 40 years since I was an

early team I know that some things have

changed but now there are a few things

that don't or shouldn't

change respect other

people keep your hands to yourself don't

touch what doesn't belong to you or what

you didn't earn

what keep your butt in the house on the

steps until you're told

otherwise and mind your

manners now my parents made it very

clear that these were their rules and

that as long as I lived in their

house that was it see because I didn't

own anything in that house and I had a

job and I bought stuff with my own money

but when I crossed that

threshold it was

there that room we let you sleep in that

room this air conditioning we let you

have some of that air conditioning that

heat that I pay for we let you have some

of that heat those clothes on your back

I bought those clothes I bought you in

here I'll take you out of

here let's be very

clear about some rules now when you get

old enough and you move out then you can

do what you want to but as long as you

living in this house you do what I tell

you to do and that's the way it

was well that's the way it needs to

be now

parents please talk to your children

talk to them today after service talk to

them tonight talk to him tomorrow cuz

things are going to

change this is some serious stuff this

is not a joke it's not a game we're not

funny the curfew is going to be enforced

other things are going to

[Applause]

happen and they need to understand that

there are serious

consequences to

aggressive violent idiotic stupid

Behavior not only for the team but also

for the parents for the Guardians

everybody's be held accountable in this

one we're taking these

steps for the safety of all of our

citizens and our

teenagers and our teenagers we want to

make sure that they don't either do

something that's going to get them in

trouble or be somewhere where they may

get

hurt this is about all of us it's about

everybody and so let me say again the

bottom line this nonsense must stop

right now right

now and

lastly to our

teenagers you know young people always

talk about uh well I got to get

respect you get

respect when you give respect that's how

you give

respect and I believe in my heart and in

my soul that

99% of the young people here in the city

of

Philadelphia are good and have good

intentions in their

heart

so I don't want anyone to think that

we've got thousands and thousands and

thousands and thousands and Untold

numbers of bad young people running

around cuz we

don't we have some really great young

people in the city they go to

school they try to get good grades and

try to graduate and go on with their

lives they participate in

sports art music poetry cultural

Services they're out

tutoring some of them have jobs in their

worker some are taking care of their

siblings parents and even

grandparents

unfortunately there's a

few could be a hundred could be a couple

hundred could be a thousand

that's still less than

1% but there's some really bad

ones and unfortunately they engage in

violent

Behavior they're Lawless they act with

ignorance they don't care about anybody

else and their behavior is

outrageous well we're not going to

tolerate that we won't tolerate it and

we're not going to excuse it because

there is no excuse for it sense and

nonsense cannot exist in the same place

in the same city in the same world and

it's not going to happen here in

Philadelphia you can't have both at the

same

time can't have

both and

so this

Behavior could have actually resulted in

even more

injuries or worse

they could have killed

somebody oh then they'd really be in a

world of trouble then all of a sudden

they'd be

crying I want my mom I need my dad I

need somebody no it's too late then no

no no we we're past that it's too

late it's too late you damaged yourself

you damaged another person you damage

your peers and quite honestly you damage

your own

race you damaged your own

race so to our young

people if you want black folks if you

want white folks Latinos Asians or

anybody else to respect you and not be

afraid when they see you walking down

the street then leave the innocent

people who are walking down the street

minding their own damn business leave

them alone stop it cut it out we've had

enough of this nonsense going on we've

had enough

and some of them should be ashamed of

their

behavior and some of

them have made shame on our

race I'm speaking

plainly I'm telling you what's on my

heart it's a disgrace what's going

on not one of these victims not one did

anything to any one of those young

people they weren't bothering them they

didn't say anything to them they were

minding their business some were out

enjoying themselves some were just

coming from work they didn't do one

thing and then all of a sudden for the

cowards as some of them are in the crowd

thought they were Anonymous jumped up

and started beating on people assaulting

them in the streets of this

city well you know now if that was one

of their friends if that was their

brother if that was their sister their

moms their grandom somebody they say oh

that ain't right that's wrong m well

it's wrong when you do it too it's wrong

when you do it

too so if you want to be

aggressive we're going to be aggressive

and let me just share this with you we

got the biggest baddest gang in town a

committed group of citizens and a

committed government and we're working

together and we're not going to have

this nonsense anymore and lastly let me

say some of those young folks are

lucky they're lucky that one of those

citizens didn't jump up and start

whipping their butt

which clearly they did not have enough

of when they were young

themselves they lucky they didn't get

themselves beat up with this nonsense so

let me

close we want a safe City we will not

tolerate it's ignorant stupid out ofc

control behavior that hurts our citizens

damages

property and beches our reputation as a

great

City and so to all of our young people

but a particular message to our young

African-American boys and

girls let me say

this if you want all of us black white

or any other color if you want us to

respect you if you want us to look at

you in a different way if you want us

not to be

afraid to walk down the same side of the

street with you that's right if you want

folks not to jump out of the elevator

when you get on if you want folks to

stop you around in stores when you're

out shopping if you want somebody to

offer you a job or an internship

somewhere if you don't want folks to be

looking in or trying to go in a

different direction when they see two or

20 of you coming down the street then

stop acting like idiots and fools out in

the streets of the city of Philadelphia

just cut it out and another

thing take those dog on hoodies down

especially in the

summer pull

your P your pants up and buy a belt cuz

no one wants to see your underwear or

the cck of your butt

nobody buy a

belt buy a

Bel nobody wants to see your

underwear comb your hair and get some

grooming

SKS come your head

running around here with your hair all

over the

place learn some

manners keep your butt in school

graduate from high school go on to

college so you can go and make something

of yourself and be a good citizen here

in this

city and why don't you work on extending

your English

vocabulary extend your English

vocabulary Beyond a few curse words that

you know some other Grunts and grumbles

and other things that none of us can

understand what you're saying and if you

go to look for a

job don't go blame it on the white folks

or anybody else if you walk in

somebody's office with your hair

uncombed and the pick in the back and

your shoes untied and your pants half

down tattoos up and down your arm on

your face on your neck and you wonder

why somebody won't hire

you they don't hire you cuz you look

like you crazy

that's why they not on

you

so you do those

things and act like you got some

sense you'd be

surprised what opportunities will open

up to

you that's what was on my

mind that's all I got to say

thank

you thank you