THE VIOLENCE HAS TO STOP!!

My heart is so heavy right now...





I waited as long as I could to view the video that the media has been showing of the beating death of Derrion Albert, the teen that was recently killed in Chicago. It just wasn't something that I cared to watch. But, as I was lying in bed tonight, I decided to go ahead and see what everyone had been talking about. The tears began to flow as I watched that young man's lifeless body being carried into the school by his fellow classmates. How can a person take another's life?!? He was 16 years old! Why does this continue to happen to our youth? Our people? I am upset with myself because I'm not doing anything but reading about it and shaking my head! This has to STOP! I am tired of reading about my young black men and women getting killed and going to prison....and for what? GANG VIOLENCE?! That is so played! Not only is it happening in Chicago, it's happening in our communities all across this country. It's happenning in my backyard. What's even worse is the fact that we only hear about the incidents that are covered by the media. There are so many more lives that are being taken that we just don't hear about. What can we do? When I look at the percentage of our young black males that are incarcerated it makes me sick to my stomach. In 2008, 37% of all incarcerated males were black, that was down from 41% in 2007.

I've been reading a lot of comments regarding this incident and many people are blaming the parents. I'm not so sure I fully agree. True, there are a lot of parents out there that allow the streets to raise their kids, but on the flip side there are some parents that do the best they can. Some of these parents are working just so they can make ends meet and unfortunately, that child gets neglected. That is why we need programs to give these kids an outlet, a way to express themselves, a way for them to stay off the streets. It takes funding in order to get these programs going. Where is our government?? How is it that this is happening in our country? America...The Land of Opportunity. Really?