I would be remiss if not a full blown hypocrite if I did not
address the acts of depravity committed daily here in my own city. The word
depravity means moral corruption or wickedness. What act of moral corruption or
wickedness is there greater than that of a parent disregarding his
responsibilities to a child? The senseless violence that has permeated Chicago
neighborhoods as well as neighborhoods around the country can be traced
directly back to the lack of not only a positive male role model within the home
and in the community, but the lack of a family unit at all.
As an advocate for prison reform I have and will continue to
point out injustices throughout our legal system, however as a man first and
foremost I will call it how I see it. For the most part, perpetrators of inner
city violent crime are not forty something males. Old men aren’t riding around
with their buddies gunning up public parks. Young adults and teenagers, (more
specifically young males) are the trigger pullers, but the accomplices are the
men & women that brought them into being. How, one may ask? There are great
responsibilities in becoming a parent. Parents play a direct role in whatever their
children become; positive or negative. When parents are not actively
participating in the development of their children; someone or something else
will. Whether its music videos, video games, neighborhood drug dealers or other
children, the void will be filled.
As with most crime, inner-city violence is committed in
areas that the perpetrator is familiar with. The serial killer plots his attack
against members of his own community, not only because he is easily camouflaged
but also because of his ability to remain close to that which he despises. The
same applies to inner city violence. A young man grows to loathe his current
socio-economic situation. Without positive familial reinforcement, he seeks
that what is lacked in the home from the streets. In the streets the young man
acquires a warped sense of morality, justice and values from other like-minded
youths.
Several parents have abandoned proven effective traditional
methods of raising children and embraced time outs or becoming our child’s
friend. Other parents have given up “parenting”, all together allowing children
to simply “grow up” forcing them to deal with the harsh realities of life on
their own. Many parents have turned away from their own morally sound
upbringing to indulge in lifestyles that accentuate the pleasures of “immediate
gratification,” thereby destroying the likelihood of establishing a respectful
parent-child relationship. These factors, combined with the massive numbers of
fathers that are currently incarcerated, create a climate ripe for the
senseless violence that we see, read & hear about today.
The socio-economic stresses attached to inner city life can
be challenging but not insurmountable. The challenges are increased when a child
has to face the world without the vital tools for success that only caring parents
can provide. Needing support to handle day to day struggles, the child turns to
his peers for assistance. Misguided youth become misguided young adults who are
ready, willing and able to misguide their peers as well as other youths in the
community. Parents have allowed themselves to be replaced by these peers, as
well as, by various forms for entertainment such as video games, television and
music lyrics. Through constant exposure to these forms of media that emphasize misogyny,
violence and indifference toward life and without responsible parents to
enforce the value of true morality and work ethics, the child forms a warped,
“code of ethics.”
The lack of parental guidance denies a child of the ability to
deal with day to day obstacles in a rational manner. The ability to use logic instead
of emotions to solve problems is a skill that falls within a parent’s scope of
duties. Without the capability to apply logic to a difficult situation and
arrive at a reasonable conclusion, the emotionally charged child engages in a
violent confrontation often ending in tragedy for an innocent victim.
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| Emotionally Charged Youth May Mean Tragedy for Innocent Victims |
Without self-respect, success of any type is unattainable. A child that does not respect himself cannot
and will not respect parents or authority figures. If the child continues on this
self-destructive path of disrespectful behavior, negative contact with law enforcement
is inevitable. It is these young people; lacking the respect for self and others
and possessing a false sense of entitlement, that commit the majority of community
based violent crime. Self-respect, or the child’s lack of it, falls squarely
upon the shoulders of the parents. Self-respect creates strong moral character;
strong moral character prevents many incidents of senseless violent crime from
ever being committed.
Community based violence is the result of many components; I
would dare to say that most, if not all, can be traced back to ineffective
parenting. It would interest me to see
just how many of the perpetrators actually come from homes where both parents had
an active role in their childhood development. Parents must regain the power
that they have given to the streets, the TV and the radio by becoming parents
again. The only way to end the violence that infect our communities is for
parents to not just talk but to show children through their actions that true
success must be attained through education and work. Morality & integrity
cannot be found in the street and are not the responsibility of teachers and
schools but must be addressed in the home. Respect of self and of others cannot
be found in books but must be conveyed from the hearts & minds of parents
to their children. To solve the problem of violence in our neighborhoods,
parents must raise their children instead of allowing them to simply grow up,
therefore, in an effort to save our communities; parental guidance is
suggested.
