by Elton Jolly
A reader writes in about a solution to youth violence in the city.
Just this past August, I drove to my friend’s home around 51st and Ludlow. When we got there, 5 shots rang out. Then there was a man on the ground, semi-conscious, reaching for his cell phone, surrounded by blood. This man had just been shot; I watched him as he died. To this day I see the look in his eyes and wonder why? Why is it like this?These days, everyone is asking themselves that question. I would like to share a possible solution.
First, we need to realize that guns do not shoot themselves. A weapon is only as dangerous as the intentions of the person behind it. Back during the 1970s, Philadelphia had a major problem with gang war violence. Kids were shooting and killing rival gang members over trivial things like territory.
During this time I was not a gang member, but I played basketball and associate with many boys who were. I asked questions, and I got answers. It all stems from what a child values in his or her life. If a child or teenager has no hope or activity to focus on, then that child will create his/her OWN activity, illegal or not. The gang members killed because the only thing they valued was the gang. To them, the gang was more than family; it was their only way of life.
Today’s kids are lacking value again. Kids in these communities are shooting guns because they no longer care- not about life, not about others, and not about themselves. Today kids are dealing with broken families, with mothers and fathers no longer present. Also, the government has cut back on a lot of programs that could have been beneficial to kids, so now they are left with nothing to value- no programs, no training, no recreation and no hope. They can’t get decent jobs because no one wants to hire a young Black youth with no experience, who can’t even afford to dress properly for a job interview. People need to realize that a child doesn’t need to have a whole lot of opportunity in order to have hope.
Let me give you an example. I once managed one of the worst apartment complexes in the city. I had drug dealers and criminals living in this complex. The kids were engaged in constant vandalism. I decided to construct a basketball court on the premises and when the word got out, those very same kids marched into my office and asked me if they could clean the area for free! Those kids were so happy to finally have some type of activity that the vandalism lessened significantly. Can you imagine that?
I drove by the area of Baltimore Avenue around 59th Street a few weeks ago. There were too many young Black men just standing outside on the corners at night doing nothing. We need to give value back to the community. We need to renovate our gyms and recreation centers. We need to open them at night and fill them with special programs, sessions and training classes for all. I would love to see books and computers there too. In fact, I will go so far as to say we need to offer programs for parents as well as the kids because sometimes parents need direction too.
Denzel Washington is a national spokesperson for the Boys Club of America. He credits the Boys Club with making him the person he is today. For him, it made a major difference. It can make a difference for us too. Our communities are losing out on future actors, musicians, politicians, and athletes because their opportunities to learn and grow have been cut. We can either continue to allw it to happen, or we can take matters into our own hands. Show me one thousand REALLY concerned men and women and I will show you how it can work. If they tell us there is no money from our city government, then we need o turn to big businesses and offer them tax write-offs.
The most important thing we need to realize is that there’s strength in numbers. It is important for the African American community to stop viewing ourselves as a minority and make some noise. We have to start caring for our own, because no one else seems to mind if the people in our community kill each other off.
Gun laws will only stop the people who are already buying guns legally, but won’t do anything for those buying illegally. Adding more police officers will mean nothing to teenagers who don’t care. If they won’t respect 5 officers, what makes you think they will respect 25? No, we need to focus on our youth, and give them direction and value and make our community a place where kids can aspire to more. My name is Elton Brett Jolly, and I welcome any and all responses, pro and con, at EltonJolly@aol.com.
2006-10-21 07:57:21
