Preventing Violence in Chicago This Summer and Beyond

N'Digo - A Stark Look:

One of the major concerns of Chicagoans is the growing violence amongst out school-aged children. We have now witnessed the murder of almost 40 young students in the last 12 months. The Chicago Police Department has labeled these killings “gang related murders by unknown killers.” This label usually means that the crime will never be solved and the killer(s) will never be caught and brought to justice. Thus, future killers will feel free to continue engaging in violent behavior as a means of settling differences.

In the last 40 years, we have endured the failure of hundreds of so-called solutions to the problems of youth violence. These solutions have ranged from targeted youth social service programs, after school programs, college open enrollment accompanied by high school tutoring, behavior modification and so-called anti-gang violence prevention programs funded by the state and federal governments.

In the meantime, our public schools have continued to deteriorate in their ability to educate our children and the number of children graduating from high school each year has decreased each year. Unfortunately, while the proportion of public school graduates has gone down, we have witnessed a proportional increase in the amount of violence on the part of the young men in inner city communities who have left school for various reasons. Many of these young people, especially inner city youths have been, in effect, “pushed out” and labeled “dropouts.” Many of these young people are homeless and jobless. We often forget that unemployment in inner city neighborhoods can run as high as 50 percent for teenagers. So when we combine poorly performing schools, chronically high unemployment and homelessness together with a hostile environment, the results beget more violence and disorder.

Been awhile since I've read N'Digo online. Read the whole thing!

I sat on this since the 16th.