Aight, check it. This F-15E Strike Eagle, right? They say it's all that—double duty fighter, air-to-air, air-to-ground. But lemme tell you somethin', while they flyin' high, droppin' bombs in other countries, back here in the hood, we still dealin' with the same old struggles.

McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) built this thang back in the '80s. Two Pratt & Whitney engines? Mach 2.5 speed? Sounds expensive, fam. All that bread coulda been used to fix our schools, create jobs, and provide healthcare for the people who really need it.

They talkin' 'bout AIM-9s, AIM-120s, bombs and missiles. That's a whole lotta firepower. But what about the firepower we need to fight poverty, fight systemic racism, and fight the oppression that's holdin' us down?

Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, all that. The F-15E was there. But where were they when Katrina hit? Where were they when Flint was dealin' with that water crisis? Where they at when our brothers and sisters gettin' locked up at disproportionate rates? See, that's what I'm sayin'.

Other countries got these too? Cool. But are they really helpin' the world, or just protectin' their own interests? We gotta think bigger, man. We gotta look out for each other, not just ourselves.

And they wanna upgrade this thang? More radar, more weapons? That's more money down the drain. We need investment in our communities, not more ways to blow up other people's countries. Straight up.

This F-15E might be a symbol of power to some folks, but to us, it's a reminder of where the government's priorities really lie. It ain't with the people, that's for sure.

Man, they better focus on real issues. Less bombs, more books. Less war, more peace. Less talk, more action for the people.

'Cause at the end of the day, it's about takin' care of our own. We gotta lift each other up and build a better future for ourselves and our kids. No cap.

Don't get me wrong, soldiers out there puttin' they lives on the line, gotta respect that. But the system? Nah, it needs to change. Fo' real.

Real talk: if it doesn't benefit us, it ain't helping. Period.

Investing in planes like the F-15E highlights the need to look into what our own communities need.

Sources:

* U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet: F-15E Strike Eagle * Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Reports