Last night, I marched through my old neighborhood in Queens. Squeezing my hand on my right side as we marched was the mother of a young man killed by a stray bullet outside a house party. Squeezing the hand on my left side was another mother who lost her son to the senseless violence that plagues our communities. I marched through my old neighborhood in Queens with almost a thousand men, women, and children as a show of love and unity to a community hurting. I marched because the shootings and deaths of our young people this summer has not just been in my old neighborhood in Queens, but in communities all across our urban landscape.
When Derrion Albert was killed on September 24, 2009, our nation witnessed, through a cell phone video camera, the horrors of a young man beaten to death. It not only awoke the nation, but it was also the catalyst for a new initiative started by President Obama, Secretary Duncan, and Attorney General Holder. The National Forum for Youth Violence Prevention was started in six cities soon after the death of Derrion. Its task is to examine old models and implement new ones to be used by local cities to combat violence in their communities.
When more black men were killed in one year (2009) than all of the US soldiers killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars to date, we must give this problem the utmost attention. We must find solutions to curb the violence. Under the President's leadership, I am more confident we will get there. The National Forum for Youth Violence Prevention was a White House project. It received little attention from the press, but it is the type of work that President Obama is doing so that one day, we will no longer have to march holding the hands of mothers who still cry alone at night.
--RUSSELL SIMMONS
This essay originally ran as part of 90 Days, 90 Reasons. For more essays, written by people such as Judd Apatow, Marilynne Robinson, Paul Simon, Elizabeth Gilbert and Michael Stipe, go to http://90days90reasons.com/
Follow 90 Days, 90 Reasons on Twitter: https://twitter.com/90days90reasons
Or like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/90days90reasons
Follow Russell Simmons on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unclerush
 |
 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
I don't think its working.
If you listen to him, "Jobs are my number one priority", so where does working on inner city violence fit in with that?
BO is in full on campaign mode, so he is not working on anything that is not going to translate into votes in November. Heck, he went right on campaigning in the days right after our embassy was attacked and the ambassador was killed.
So if BO has really been working on this issue, I would have to give him a "F" on it, like his handling of the economy, his handling of the unemployment rate, his handling of the national debt, his handling of the credit rating downgrades. All F's in my opinion.
------------------
It is a start. It will take time. It will take a lot of time to fix the mess we're in but a lot of things are in the works. If we elect Romney, we just junk all that work and start over, going where? Who knows. I don't think Romney even knows. What experience does Romney have in working in inner cities? Working with minority youth? None.
No, but feel good rich liberals do, and that's plenty.
Go tell it on the south side of Chicago Russel
There are many studies to show the many negative effects of single parent households and until the Black community reverses this trend I am afraid there are many struggles still ahead.
The problems begin in the home, regardless of race! Without a strong male influence during their formitave years, statistics show that many kids turn to gangs to fill the void in their lives.
The "father factor" directly influences poverty, emotional and behavioral problems, crime, incarceration, teen pregnancy and even childhood obesity.
http://www.fatherhood.org/media/consequences-of-father-absence-statistics
While I feel for the marchers, looking to Barry for a solution is nonsensical.
Who loses? The Black community of which I am a part