The “official” reason for the father’s court visit was to address an unpaid fine that his son had not taken care of. The amount was a mere $80 that had lingered about for over a year, but that was not the heart of the concern. The heart of the concern was that the son refused to comply in any aspect of his life, period. The father mentioned to the judge, in anguish, that his son was creating far too many additional problems in their home amid the father's attempts to raise his other children. Ultimately, he was at a loss for what to do with his son.

He also stated that that his presence at court that day was done at risk, because missing work could very well cost him his job. In hopes of salavaging any hope he had for his son's potential, he then told the judge about a “boot camp” for troubled youth. He believed that this camp might provide his son with the needed experience to turn his life around. However, the catch was that it was an expensive camp. For his son to attend without expense to his parents, an expense they could not afford, a referral was needed from a judge. He pleaded, on behalf of his son and the rest of his family, for a such a referral.

At this request the judge became annoyed, saying,

“You are his father. Your responsibility is to take care of your children. If he does not care about his life, and you’ve obviously made the effort, then it is neither your, nor the court’s problem any longer. I would normally hold the parents financially responsible by now, but now it is his problem. Rest assured sir, you will not be held responsible for this fine. All I want to do now for him is issue a bench warrant for his arrest, and let him spend some time in juvenile hall, not send him to some boot camp.”

The conversation went on a little longer, in a public display of the system’s power and the father's powerlessness. An online dictionary reveals various definitions of a “father”, none of which this man probably felt he lived into.

I heard many sounds throughout that courtroom, but none rang louder than the sound of the father walking away empty handed. Then I heard the lyrics of one of my favorite songs play in my head, as I wondered how much “time” it would have cost the judge to refer that kid, and how much “time” it is going to cost that family, and families like it that he didn't.

I'm tryin to make a dollar out of fifteen cents
It's hard to be legit and still pay tha rent
And in the end it seems I'm headin for tha pen
I try and find my friends, but they're blowin in the wind
Last night my buddy lost his whole family
It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity
It seems tha rain'll never let up
I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin wet up
You know it's funny when it rains it pours
They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor
Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is
it ain't no hope for tha future
And then they wonder why we crazy
I blame my mother, for turning my brother into a crack baby
We ain't meant to survive, cause it's a setup
And even though you're fed up
Huh, ya got to keep your head up

- 2 Pac, Keep Ya’ Head Up