Dear
Youth,
I have
been very moved to write to you all because of the influx of violence......... just this past weekend in New York City alone there were six murders
out of twenty-six shootings. That’s a mere reflection of the violent decisions
that are being made to handle disagreements, misunderstandings, envy, jealousy
and all issues. It’s become evident that violent measures are continuously outweighing
rationale approaches. We all know someone that has died at the hands of gun
violence. Hearing the news on these recent incidents it’s just awful because
there are families being ripped apart with scars that will never heal. You can’t
replace a life once it’s gone. If this unacceptable madness continues the youth
will become endangered species. Will we continue this endemic and disrespect for
human life and continue to kill one another? When will it stop? How many people we have to
lose every weekend? I share my voice
with you as a concerned parent, human, and Black Man that’s from the very same
element that these violent expressions play out in—the urban environment. Sadly, seeing this in the present quickly
brings me back to the crack era that I grew up in where bloodshed was typical.
Having experienced my fair share of turmoil and mayhem at the time was
indescribable. To be honest, I’m still traumatized by the many different things
I have embedded in my memory of those times. Forced to hear gunshots and seeing
many lives lost was just a normal occurrence. Seeing enough of it to desensitize
you where you sort of knew what to expect. I am
very appreciative to have survived those dismal conditions of the inner-city or
the jungle (so to speak) because so many weren’t able to do so. In a perfect
world, we should all be able to reside in a civilized setting and not fear for
our lives each time we leave our homes. How about not facing the possibility of
being a victim of gun violence and placed at the mercy of someone that has no
regard for the life of others…... based on how they feel that day. We all think about what goes through the mind
of a person that can savagely take the life of another human and not feel any
remorse for doing so.
As
parents, we are producing children right along with characteristics and traits
of violence at the same time. By not teaching them through example we are only
forcing them to learn from the pressures of the environment. They go out into the world and learn from the
angry and frustrated people that have no idea how to channel their
emotions—those that will take all of those emotions out on someone that has
nothing to do with it. We all know that problems do not discriminate whether
you are young or old. Unfortunately, violence has become the chosen form of
expression because we don’t know how to communicate and resolve our indifferences
with one another. I also believe that these
acts of violence stem from a deep-rooted hate for one another that has become
an instinct and natural reaction. So how are we going to tackle this problem
and reach a solution? First, we can only
destroy this mindset by proving that there are other alternatives to
approaching a problem, feeding your ego and garnering attention instead of
resorting to violence. The mission is
about taking that split second of irrationality away and not making it
something that will forever alter the lives of everyone involved. Directly or indirectly, we are all affected
in some way which is why it’s important that we learn from these incidents so
that we diminish the reality of losing our boys and men early in their lives.
We will never know what potential of greatness is being taken from our universe
all because someone feels they have the right to take the life of another. My
heart and prayers go out to every family that has had to face the unfortunate
incident of violence. You are all very meaningful and significant and play an
integral part to our tomorrow, I thank you all that have taken the time to read
this post and let’s be people of change!
AL KING
