I lost a grandson to fentanyl--How will we stop fentanyl from taking more lives?
First published in the Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2022
My grandson Joshua died from fentanyl this past November. This beautiful and vibrant young man was 22 years old. He was part of my large, blended family — white, Black and Mexican — in northern Illinois. Joshua was technically not my blood grandson. He was the half-brother of my blood granddaughter Ana, daughter of my oldest son, Ramiro. Joshua had two other brothers, both amazing young men, one in the Army. Since they were babies, all three brothers called me “Grandpa Louie” like Ana did. The boys’ father was Ramiro’s best friend and a former Chicago gang youth whom I helped — although he did 90% of the work — leave behind the vice grips of street life and jails. I practically adopted him, and together we all worked hard to get out of worsening violence, drugs and crime. His sons with Ana’s mom, and son with another woman, are my grandkids, no matter what.
I loved Joshua. He deserved a better world. Yes, he was troubled, like many of the struggling young people in this part of Illinois who have been affected as jobs left and drugs rushed in. Our family protected Ana and her brothers as best we could from the inner-city world their fathers grew up in — my son Ramiro ended up in prison, including for a 13-and-a-half-year stretch. But drugs like crystal meth and fentanyl know no boundaries. Many well-raised and good people get snarled in their ever-expanding web. Ana, who's 28, is currently incarcerated for drug-related charges. Government data show that in 2021, nearly 108,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdose — more than 71,000 from synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl.
Chicago, not far from where Joshua lived, is my second home. I lived there for 15 years. My two youngest sons were born there. I have a daughter and two grandchildren still in the city, and Ana has two daughters (my great-grandchildren) who live in northern Illinois. There’s another granddaughter and four other great-grandchildren in the middle of the state. Now I’m in the San Fernando Valley, where I’ve been for 22 years. But the helplessness families often feel when they lose a loved one to drugs or violence is much the same, regardless of where you are.
No matter how many laws are enforced, how many prison sentences or police officers are deployed — often with military gear and equipment— drug and gun violence continue unabated. When Joshua died, we were remembering the gun murder a year before of the 15-year-old son of my daughter’s high school friend who we also helped when she was a teenager. Her son was killed by gang youth — and he was neither in a gang or in deep trouble. When I went to Illinois recently for Joshua’s funeral, we did Indigenous prayers and songs for the parents who lost sons within a year of each other (I have Indigenous roots from Mexico).
We must turn our sense of helplessness into healing and then action. Politicians like to spout “tough on crime” policies, which for the last 40 years have been given full rein. They’ve failed. Instead, let’s try caring and community strengthening. Let’s try faster and more comprehensive drug treatment, full mental health services and healing arts practices, which have shaped my community work in the Valley. I’ve advocated for these approaches when I worked with Chicano gang youth in Los Angeles during the 1970s and early 1980s; with Bloods and Crips as well as Chicago youth both in and out of gangs in the 1990s; with young people in Mexico, Central America, South America, England and Italy — and when I returned to the Los Angeles area in 2000.
In the largely working-class Latino and Black community of the northeast San Fernando Valley, my wife, Trini, and I helped create Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore, which also offers a program called Trauma to Transformation that sends artists, poets and theater workers to prisons, juvenile lockups and parolee housing. I know from experience that these mentoring and guidance programs help people. Unfortunately, our leaders have not shown the political will to provide proper funding and infrastructure to reach every community in need. I appeal, then, for all of us to work together so our children, regardless of race or income, can be given a chance to thrive, not just struggle to survive. No more helplessness. These are human-made problems that we have the creative capacity to solve. Bring the most impacted people to the fore of efforts to stop violence and destructive drug use — we can make the difference.
For all the Joshuas of the world, let us now become embracing and proactive. As South L.A. community leaders declared when brokering a historic gang peace treaty just before the 1992 L.A. uprising, give us the tools — the “hammers and the nails,” if you will — and we will rebuild our communities.
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Geometry Dash: A Comprehensive Guide to the Rhythm-Based Platformer
Geometry Dash has become a renowned name in the world of fast-paced platformer games, capturing the hearts of gamers across the globe. This colorful and rhythm-oriented title presents an exciting blend of timing, quick reflexes, and puzzle-like level design. The distinctive style, which merges catchy electronic music with geometric aesthetics, draws players in for hours of precision tapping and jumping. If you are looking for an immersive experience that challenges your agility, creativity, and patience, look no further than geometry dash. In this in-depth guide, we’ll explore the origins of this addictive game, dive into essential gameplay mechanics, and offer a range of strategies for players at every skill level.
Origins and Evolution of Geometry Dash
Developed by RobTop Games, Geometry Dash first appeared on mobile platforms before expanding to include PC versions. Its central premise is deceptively simple: you control a square icon that moves automatically while you tap (or click) to jump over obstacles in rhythm with pulsating music. As the game progressed through various updates, new modes of play and custom level tools were introduced, fueling a passionate community of dedicated fans and content creators.
The game has evolved into multiple expansions, such as Geometry Dash Lite, Geometry Dash World, and Geometry Dash SubZero, each adding fresh elements to the core experience. Many players initially discover Geometry Dash on their smartphones, ultimately transitioning to the PC version for improved control precision and access to extensive user-generated levels. Over time, geometry dash has secured a reputation for its steep difficulty curve, but it remains surprisingly easy for newcomers to pick up and enjoy thanks to simple tap-and-hold mechanics.
Key Features That Make Geometry Dash Unique
Rhythm-Based Gameplay: The game’s tracks align closely with jumps and obstacles, encouraging players to synchronize their taps with the music.
Diverse Level Designs: RobTop’s original levels provide a range of complexity right out of the box. However, the user-generated content is where the real magic happens—fans push the mechanics in creative ways.
Customizable Icons: You can unlock new shapes and colors for your character by completing levels, achieving specific tasks, or even hunting down hidden coins.
Fan-Made Levels: A comprehensive level editor tool allows dedicated players to build custom stages, share them online, and challenge friends or strangers to beat their creations.
Engaging Community: Geometry Dash boasts a lively online community where gamers collaborate on mega-collaborations (mega-colls), create tournaments, and celebrate top players who excel at beating extremely challenging demons.
The Importance of Practice
For many players, mastering Geometry Dash requires an investment of patience and time. Since split-second timing makes the difference between success and failure, repetitive practice is crucial. Replaying the same segments—especially trickier sections—enables you to develop muscle memory and a deeper understanding of how the gameplay syncs with musical cues. It’s typical for top-level players to spend hours refining a single section before weaving it together into a smooth, full run. This emphasis on practice can be punishing, but the gratification of finally conquering a difficult level is immeasurable.
One of the game’s signature attractions—a delightfully satisfying difficulty—stems from its unwavering approach to punishing mistakes. If you mistime a jump or collide with a spike, the game restarts you at the beginning or at the most recent checkpoint (if enabled in practice mode). This cycle of repeated attempts, frustration, and success forms a core part of the geometry dash identity. Nonetheless, the difficulty is far from insurmountable, and the sense of triumph is well worth the effort.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started
For those new to the game, understanding the basics can be a lifesaver. The tutorial below outlines how to begin your journey on the right foot, reducing the initial learning curve and setting you up for level-making adventures if you choose to create your own custom maps.
Download the Right Version: You can choose from Geometry Dash Lite (a free version with limited levels), the full paid version (complete with a vast array of levels and features), or specialized spin-offs like World or SubZero.
Explore the Main Levels: Begin with the official levels, as they are calibrated to gradually expose you to new obstacles, portal transformations, and other gameplay quirks.
Use Practice Mode: If a certain portion of a level proves too challenging, switch on Practice Mode. This allows you to place checkpoints and retry from those points, so you can master tricky sections without restarting from the beginning each time.
Unlock New Icons and Trails: Gaining achievements in official levels or scanning for hidden coins can reward you with cool icon designs and color schemes to customize your character. These cosmetic upgrades keep the progress system exciting.
Dive into User-Created Levels: When you feel ready, check out custom levels in the online browser. Filtering by difficulty or popularity can help you find stages that match your skill level or personal aesthetic preferences.
Strategies for Overcoming Tricky Obstacles
Most people stumble upon recurring elements in Geometry Dash that they find tough—like that dreaded triple spike jump or lightning-fast UFO sections. Below are some tips to help you chisel away at those seemingly impossible parts.
Stay Calm: Frustration leads to rushed inputs and impulsive mistakes. Taking a deep breath or pausing the game briefly can help reset your mind.
Master Timing, Not Just Speed: The music’s rhythm is more like a clue than a requirement. Listen to the beat, but also rely on your visual queues for precise jump timing.
Incremental Progress: If a spike arrangement is repeatedly causing your demise, focus solely on that arrangement in Practice Mode. Break it down into smaller steps until you can navigate it smoothly.
Use the Right Speed Portals: Some portals change the speed at which your icon moves. Recognize how this variation affects gravity or jump arcs, and adjust your taps accordingly.
Analyze with Replays: If you’re truly stuck, watch top players or replay your own runs (in cases where external recording tools are used). Identifying micro-timing nuances can drastically improve your performance.
Delving into the Level Editor
For creative souls, the level editor is where Geometry Dash blossoms into a playground of endless possibilities. Here, you can build your own stages, adjust difficulty parameters, and add aesthetic flair to match your preferred music tracks. The robust editor allows you to combine blocks, spikes, slopes, portals, triggers, and decorative items, setting up dynamic visuals synchronized with any song you choose.
When constructing a level, start with a basic layout—defining the core path your icon will follow. Then, gradually incorporate obstacles and special portals that alter gravity or icon forms (like the ship or the wave). Careful testing is essential: switch between Player Mode and Edit Mode frequently to verify the difficulty, ensuring your layout remains fair while still presenting a challenge. Advanced creators utilize complex triggers to handle background flashes, object movements, or subtle design flourishes that elevate their levels from average to extraordinary.
Community Highlights and Competitions
The geometry dash community is highly active in hosting competitions and building collaborative mega-projects. If you’re looking to get involved, keep an eye out for level creation contests, speed-building tournaments, and daily or weekly featured levels. Popular content creators often feature showcases of user levels, shining a spotlight on creative designs and providing tips on tackling advanced challenges.
Some of the game’s most esteemed players and builders are recognized for their achievements on extremely challenging “demon” levels, which demand near-perfect timing. These top-tier players stream their attempts, sometimes surpassing thousands of attempts before finally landing that coveted completion. Watching these pros can be both inspirational and instructive, revealing advanced techniques for controlling the various transformations your icon undergoes in each stage.
Progressing from Beginner to Pro
Undoubtedly, Geometry Dash can feel punishing, especially when you’re first starting out. However, learning at a comfortable pace is key to transforming frustration into mastery. Below is a simplified roadmap for escalating your skills:
Play Easy Levels: Focus on official levels with lower difficulty ratings. These will help build a strong foundation in timing and mechanics without overwhelming you.
Try Medium or Hard Stages: Gradually test your abilities in slightly more demanding levels, paying attention to new obstacles or speed adjustments.
Experiment with Different Modes: As you encounter ship, ball, wave, or robot transformations, practice each mode’s distinct physics until muscle memory sets in.
Advance to Demon Levels: Marked with a purple face icon, these represent the upper echelons of difficulty. Start with lower-tier demons and scale up as your confidence grows.
Pursue Extreme Challenges: Reserved for the bravest players, extreme demons often require memorization of entire sequences and an unshakable sense of rhythm. Overcoming one is a major badge of honor in the community.
Why Geometry Dash Remains Timeless
The reason geometry dash continues to thrive is that it skillfully balances simplicity with nearly infinite complexity. The core mechanics remain straightforward—jump or hold to fly—but the game’s synergy with adrenaline-pumping music propels it well beyond an ordinary platformer. Additionally, the massive library of community-made levels ensures that no two days of playing are ever the same. Whether you play casually or surge toward top leaderboard spots, there is an ongoing sense of discovery.
Moreover, the creative energy that players pour into level design means the Geometry Dash universe constantly expands. The potential to build personalized adventures or collaborate with other creators fosters a deep sense of ownership and pride within the game’s universe. Coupled with an enthusiastic player base who share tips, compile custom track lists, and celebrate each other’s achievements, Geometry Dash remains one of the most vibrant online platforming experiences available.
Conclusion: Embrace the Rhythm and the Challenge
Ultimately, Geometry Dash offers something for everyone—whether you are a casual fan wanting a quick challenge between daily tasks or a hardcore gamer seeking to master intricate patterns on demon levels. By blending steady difficulty progression, an active online community, and an endless supply of user-generated content, the game stands as a testament to how simple mechanics, combined with boundless creativity, can result in a long-lasting phenomenon.
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If you haven’t jumped into this dynamic world yet, now is the perfect time to test your reflexes and experience the rush of acing a perfectly timed jump set to energetic music. Download the version that suits you, practice diligently, learn from the pros, and perhaps even craft your own set of levels. In the rhythm-fueled universe of geometry dash, each new attempt is a chance to beat your personal record, uncover fresh community innovations, and immerse yourself in a pulse-pounding, geometry-inspired spectacle.
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