"Although the overall rate of homicide in the United States remains relatively low, the landscape is quite different for countless Americans living, and some dying, in violence-infested neighborhoods," ~James Alan Fox, Criminologist~
Gee, ya think? I know that most of you have seen or heard about this study by now. The one that talks about the shocking state of teenage black on black violence in this country. Especially among young black men. I won't bore you with the numbers. As is usually the case in these types of reports, they are staggering. A 40% rise in black teen killings since 2000, and almost 964 black males between the ages of 14-17 committed fatal shootings in 2007 alone. I could go on of course, but you get the idea. And none of our major cities are immune from this deadly plague. From Oakland to Boston, we all suffer.
It's funny, at a time when most of you are outraged at Israeli aggression in the Middle East, which has unfortunately caused innocent civilians to lose their lives. Right here in your own country young boys who look like you are losing their lives to the streets, and some of you don't seem to give a damn. You are passionate about human rights in the "Holy Land" but not about the right of our children to live past 21 here at home. Thanks to the policies of the right; social programs, local police and juvenile crime prevention programs, and other key local government programs geared to help keep kids off the mean streets, have been cut. So while the frat boy was keeping us safe from Al-Qaeda, he forgot to protect our children from each other, and from the killing fields of urban A-merry-ca.
I keep a running side bar of the killings here in Philadelphia, and I guarantee you that in about 362 days it will be over 300. Of that 300 80% of those murders will have been committed by young black men. Why? The code of the streets? Poverty? Poor families at home? A poor educational system?A prevalent Hip Hop culture? I have heard all of the excuses and possible causes, and yet the senseless violence continues.
Which begs the question: If we have all the answers why aren't we doing anything about it? Why aren't we investing more resources into the problem? Because it's young black men killing each other? Because most of these crimes take place far away from the WSZ? (That's white safety zone for those of you who aren't familiar with field speak) Or because most of them weren't going to be productive members of society so they are disposable? See all the questions I have tonight? I have all these questions because every time I think I have some answers, I see a report like this which just frustrates the hell out of me all over again.
I don't have kids, but I always wonder what will become of the next generation of black boys.----The ones who are just coming into this world--- Will they kill each other and others like this group? Will they still have very little respect for their lives and that of others around them? Will they walk away from their families like those who brought them here walked away from them?
Damn it questions again. And for once I wish I had some answers.
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