Killing our youth: A national passtime?

Ms. Beauty Turner
Killing our youth a national pass time?

It use to be moms apple pie, and baseball that led the nation in pass time now in Black and Latino communities it seems to be the killing of our youth.

Shock waves are being felt all around the nation as well as on the windy city streets of Chicago , as of yet nine more Chicago Public School youth are gunned down and killed right here on American soil over the weekend leading into early spring near April 2008.

“Our youth are going on a suicide murder mission as if they are in a war in Iraq !” according to Arne Duncan CEO of Chicago Public Schools in a recent interview.

In 2007,40 school age youth were shot and killed at the ending of summer .
“This year so far 22 youth have been shot and killed and summer haven’t even begin yet!”

Instead of colorful pompoms being shake at pep rallies or cockwheels, and splits being done by cheerleaders for basketball , baseball and football games, youth are protesting, marching and rallying in the streets in front of the Thompson Center demanding that more be done to end the killing and are asking for stricter gun laws.



Mayor Richard M. Daley and Governor Rod R. Blagojevich as well as many community leaders like Father Michael L. Pfleger, CEO of Chicago Public Schools Arne Duncan and people who have lost a child to gun violence such as Ron Holt; Blaire Holt father. Holt is the young man that was shot and killed on a bus in the Roseland area while coming home from school in 2007. They were there demanding stricter gun laws in order to stop the killing.


“Every Child need a license to drive a car but gun seller do not need a license,” Mayor Daley said.

“We need to lobby every politician in Springfield to make stricter gun law’s! Governor Rod R. Blagojevich said in a rally in front of the Thompson center.


“I’m for stricter gun laws;” CEO Arne Duncan said.

“I believe that stricter gun laws will help, but we do need other resources as well!”
CEO Arne Duncan said.

Dario’s Cougar age 17 a student at Simeon High school said “If we had stricter gun laws it will slow the killing down, but it will not stop!”


But Darryl Young a Military veteran disagree with Mayor Daley as well as Governor Blagovic about stricter gun laws.

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“All this killing isn’t because of gun laws but due to a lack of resources in low income communities,” Young said.

“I totally disagree with Mayor Richard M. Daley as well as with the Governor about having more gun laws.

“Stricter gun law what is that going to do?, “All that is going to do is lock up more of our people and throw away the key!” Young added.

“We need much more resources because If this is allowed to continue there will be blood even with striker gun laws!” According to Young

“This random shooting and killing is due to drug tuff this is a drug war otherwise over money!” Community Activist Paul Mc Kinley a member of VOTE Voices of the Ex-Offender said,

A young man by the name of James E. Gierach agrees with Mc Kinley “America society has been transformed by the 1970-2008 Drug War. Drug Prohibition has made drugs like heroin,cocaine,meth and marijuana stronger, cheaper, and more available commodities on the face of the earth.” Gierach added.
“ While guns need to be controlled and regulated There are an estimate 200 million guns in private hands in the U.S) “gun control alone is not the answer to the endless killing, we must end Al Capone’s Prohibition II to stop Tommy Gun.” Gierach continues.
“You want the killing to stop we must legalize, control and regulate drugs, to take the profit out of the drug; to bankrupt gangs and destroy their ability to afford guns.” Gierach ended.

According to Diane Coles a grandmother of three who strongly disagreed with all of them she think that the killing wouldn’t happen if they had better parenting and by putting the fear of God in our youth!

“A wise man once said that a nation is judge by the laughter of their children and our children are crying!”
So what does that say about our nation?