The Death of America's Kids
More and more kids continue to day in the streets of America with a great number of them dying right here at home in Chicago. I am troubled by the death of our children. Usually over nothing or something so trivial you could not imagine someone losing their life over it.
Last week, an honor student was beat to death by a group of kids with a railroad tie and it was caught on tape. The no snitching rule was in full effect. No one would talk to authorities. At least the video allowed for arrests. The no snitching rule was meant for the part of the streets that police themselves, in other words, gangster on gangster. The rule was not meant for the death of innocents, which are kids just trying to get back and forth to school.
This week in Florida 4 kids set another kid on fire over a bike!?!?!?!? I truly don't understand the mentality that would allow anyone to set someone on fire. The four kids had tried to steal the bike from the kid (the bike actually belonged to his father) and the kid told on the four kids. So they set him on fire as retaliation. Absolutely Crazy!!
I am troubled because I care and I am confused as to what to do. Is it not my job or my responsibility because I live outside of the areas most affected by this plight? Some would say, most say actually, based on their lack of action that it is not their job. I say that it is all of our jobs. In fact, even those that live in the neighborhoods have shown they don't care.
So how do I help? I volunteer coach and mentor kids but the kids I work with don't really need it or at least they think they don't.
I've thought of creating some type of mentoring program but that does not keep the streets from reaching out to kill kids on the way to school. How do you make sure every kid has safe passage to school? Is it even possible? The bigger questions are 'How do you get people to care?' and 'How do you get kids to value their own and others lives?' and 'How do we create an an environment that kids think and actually have opportunities to make something of their lives?'
I don't have answers to these questions and I feel guilty that I don't. All I know is my guilt grows with every death. Our country pours money out to every country in the world to help them with their problems. When are we truly going to address our own problems. I guess we won't until we can have a truly open and honest conversation regarding race. Just like the health care debate. I will let you know when I figure out what my actions may be.
That's All I Got!
I'm Out!
44Black
Last week, an honor student was beat to death by a group of kids with a railroad tie and it was caught on tape. The no snitching rule was in full effect. No one would talk to authorities. At least the video allowed for arrests. The no snitching rule was meant for the part of the streets that police themselves, in other words, gangster on gangster. The rule was not meant for the death of innocents, which are kids just trying to get back and forth to school.
This week in Florida 4 kids set another kid on fire over a bike!?!?!?!? I truly don't understand the mentality that would allow anyone to set someone on fire. The four kids had tried to steal the bike from the kid (the bike actually belonged to his father) and the kid told on the four kids. So they set him on fire as retaliation. Absolutely Crazy!!
I am troubled because I care and I am confused as to what to do. Is it not my job or my responsibility because I live outside of the areas most affected by this plight? Some would say, most say actually, based on their lack of action that it is not their job. I say that it is all of our jobs. In fact, even those that live in the neighborhoods have shown they don't care.
So how do I help? I volunteer coach and mentor kids but the kids I work with don't really need it or at least they think they don't.
I've thought of creating some type of mentoring program but that does not keep the streets from reaching out to kill kids on the way to school. How do you make sure every kid has safe passage to school? Is it even possible? The bigger questions are 'How do you get people to care?' and 'How do you get kids to value their own and others lives?' and 'How do we create an an environment that kids think and actually have opportunities to make something of their lives?'
I don't have answers to these questions and I feel guilty that I don't. All I know is my guilt grows with every death. Our country pours money out to every country in the world to help them with their problems. When are we truly going to address our own problems. I guess we won't until we can have a truly open and honest conversation regarding race. Just like the health care debate. I will let you know when I figure out what my actions may be.
That's All I Got!
I'm Out!
44Black
posted by 44Black at 3:23 PM
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