It's no secret that Chicago is under a national microscope, due to the rampant violence plaguing the city. Arguably, in just about every news cycle there are reports about victims of gun violence, beatings or stabbings, some resulting in death in some gruesome fashion. In fact, as of the writing of this piece, 1,000 people have been shot in Chicago since January1, 2016. It's come to the point where community residents, mostly on the south and west sides, are numb to the sounds of gunshots. How much more can Chicago take? Block after block riddled with bullets. Families are literally torn apart due to the sudden death of a loved one. Mothers are loosing their innocent children at young ages to guns. And some of those being harmed, are preparing for vengeance--and the vicious cycle continues.
When will it stop?
But, perhaps more importantly, how did all this madness begin?
Last week, I had a lunch meeting with public affairs strategist guru, Becky Carroll, CEO and President of C-Strategies LLC. Becky was born and raised in Chicago, went to Chicago public schools and was raised in what would be considered a working class and sometimes working poor neighborhood who understands what it means to struggle and not always have a lot of food on the table or money to buy what most people would consider to be necessities. This life experience at a young age served as the foundation for her social activism in high school and college which led to getting engaged in political campaigns and public policy. Ms. Carroll had a front row seat in witnessing the ills that effected children while working at CPS. She also expressed to me the importance of good public policy and having to do some things that may be politically unpopular.
We discussed our childhood neighborhoods and how things have changed, for better and worse. Intrigued by my rearing in a foster home on the west side, Carroll asked, very sincerely, how was I able to escape the tough streets..., a question that is posed to me frequently. According to statistics, I should be dead or in jail by now...Yet, and in answer her question, I attribute my success to being exposed to things that weren't in my neighborhood and an opportunity to explore such exposure.
There is plenty of blame to go around as to why so many young people are misguided souls, walking aimlessly through their lives. I attribute most of it to poor economic development, a deficit in jobs, a lackluster education system and the most important crucial element, the broken family unit. One of the best things my foster parent did for me was to keep me involved in something constructive. She kept me busy, embedding in me, the importance of a sense of a higher being. It was vitally important to understand there was something bigger than me and to have faith in that being. I was active in my church, the boy scouts, some after school activities, providing me with experiences far away from home, which was a good thing.
Kids have to know there is another world outside the confines of their neighborhood, in order for them to discover their likes and dislikes. It makes it very difficult to develop a passion for something you've never experienced. For many of these children, they are limited to dreaming about being a professional athlete, as the only way "out" ... Although there is nothing wrong with this aspiration, the reality is those opportunities are far and few between.
Children need dreams they can reach out and touch.
As I had, when I developed a love affair with the Chicago Fire Department. It all started with a field trip to Engine Company 103 at the age of eight years old and I. Was. SOLD! I knew what I wanted to do for a living. But, what about other kids? Have they been exposed to the many wonders of life?
Second, we can talk about needing more police officers on the street and adding more social programs, but in my humble opinion, we will continue to experience delinquent behavior until the family unit is back together. Parents are children's first teachers.
In other words, if we truly care and pay attention and teach our children right from wrong, render quality education, how to control their emotions and conflict resolution, then and only then will we be able to put a tangible dent in crime statistics. All the education and all the money in the world will not make a difference, if our youth don't garner a sense of self-respect and given an opportunity to earn an honest living. Everything else is just smoke and mirrors, cute sound bites and distractions from the real issues at hand.