Hiding the Violence: 'Silver Bullet' on the streets of Chicago

What a vicious cycle these poor kids are sucked into.  The youth is the future of the country.  It's good to see that the problem is recognized by some.

It comes down to character: in the past people aspired and took immense pride in themselves, their families and their businesses. They dreamed big but not in the bling, bling, hoes and cocaine kind of way. The saying 'get rich or die trying' is all too true on the streets. An aggressive, macho culture traps these youths so that the idea of a black youth being good at math or science or aspiring to run a proper small business, is considered for 'losers' and 'wimps'. The Big Man get the Big Car, the Big Gun, the Big Booty and he done shoot the place up! I hope Obama will be a positive influence because he shows that there is another way.

Very good posts above.

Yes, there is no future and the middle-class values of character, self-control, planning for the future, the sense of that there was meaning in life that was celebrated at home, in church and in the "civil" church, America's movie theaters, are no longer in play.

The school system cannot "save kids" from themselves and their bad homes.

We have just done a story about single-motherhood and abstinence where the modern liberal value of single motherhood got questioned by me and Queenshart, while defended by some.

The fact of the matter is that in all these neighborhoods single motherhood is the norm, with more than 75% of the kids born out of wedlock.

Sociologists know that gangs get most successfully bred and are at their worst when the gangs form in neighborhoods where fathers are absent in great numbers from the family.

One of the reasons for this is the decline in our manufacturing base, the base that provided a tremendous source of semi-skilled and unskilled jobs. We outsourced and off-shored those jobs, and men who make little money are expendable to family life, being more of a liability than an asset.

And when the unfathered son grows up, with his diminished sense of self and defiant masculinity, with the only way to make money in the drug trade,  violent gang life is virtually obligatory.

Gangs are self-help pseudo-families that give protection from other gangs, while giving you the opportunity to make some money at more than minimum wage where you could actually take care of a couple of other people beside yourself.

Two things are then needed: the return of half-decent jobs and the return of men to family life. "Free traders" are against the first, and that included democrats and republicans and the lib left thinks that men are not a necessary component of family life, just an option.

excellent and informative story.

I can't believe the death toll is so high, that's shocking, and so sad.

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading, commenting and for the recommendations!

An argument often overlooked is that the nation has been in steady moral decline since the banning of organized prayer in public schools. Nevertheless, everyone is both a product of education and upbringing. However, personal, first-hand, experience with "school officials" tells me the nation's children will continue to be murdered both on the streets and in schools until "school officials" are held fully accountable for the violence in schools. Parents (including single mothers) being used as scapegoats will not correct or eliminate the problem of violence in American schools.

They are not scapegoats. No one has said that single mothers and single mothers alone have responsibility here. Fathers who abandon their families or who never commit in the first place are the other half of the problem. But school cannot replace family life 100% and correct what goes wrong there on top of that.

Don't "scapegoat" the schools, either.

Nobody believes that this has something to do with prayer. You are trying to stereotype us as if we were somehow the equivalent of those that have made the argument about prayer. There is a certain lack of ethics about that, Rhonda.

My argument is that we shipped off all the jobs and made life in gangs necessary for protection and a way to make money, and that single motherhood has contributed to that.

All those good jobs that let Detroit have a black middle class which was at the basis of MoTown records, among other things.

How could you argue that single mother and their absent fathers are not responsible for the way the neighborhood goes to some extent?

The schoolteachers' job is to teach, not play social worker, missionary, therapist and daddy and mommy.

I have been there and tried that, Rhonda, and I feel angry at your charge of "scapegoating" because I do know that I care, and that I have proven that I care with my actions and seen what is really going on.

I suggest you go downtown and start teaching at one of those very difficult schools as I have done in Compton and in LA and in LA Central Juvenile Hall and then tell me if I am "scapegoating single mothers".

No, that red herring of "school prayer" was unethical.

Great. Do you sub at schools that have crips and bloods and MS13? Subbing at the suburban high school is a far cry from subbing in Compton.

I provided a "safe evironment". I was physically attacked for that on more than one occasion.

All major sociological studies demonstrate that neighborhoods of single mothers are the prime breeding ground of violent gangs. We are not talking about well-educated women in their thirties who have baby because they have no man and the clock is running out.

We are talking about 14 year old and up having multiple kids before the age of 21. They have no education and no prospects.

Roy, there was no red herring. I was simply mentioning an argument that is often overlooked.

Too, studies lie. I wonder where Abstinence-only education policies and programs fits into the scheme of the matters you are addressing?

Also, I will add that the failure of certain media to cover violence in schools is also a contributing factor to the continuing violence.

Again, I have five years experience, including urban -- what do you think?

I agree with Roy.  We have been discussing this a lot for our backgrounds are very  similar in education and psychology.  I know a child now that has a mother who adopted him because he was a crack baby.   She wanted him for it would mean more income. He watches wrestling shows...fighting etc.  This is a child alone a lot with a Mother who has two other daughters who grew up fighting.  Children who live in homes such as this cannot be tamed by the schools.  They are so emotionally, mentally and morally  ill.  We need separate places for them to be educated and taught some kind of ethics since religion can't be paid for by the government.  Some kind of criteria must be used to assess  the parents to see if this child has any emotional , physical and moral support.  Social services is overloaded with more serious problems.  Our whole system does not work.  It would only for children from homes that give them what they should be getting.  I am not into percentages .  One can see the depth of all the illnesses that are out there alone from emotional disorders even from high economic households ...another disaster..anorexia,body dysmorphia, alcohol, gambling..etc. etc.these are  from emotionally and spiritually absent parents.  Counselors, psychologist and Dr.s are overloaded with this.  Their solution is to further complicate and "drug" them with pharmacology and not address the real issue which is the home and the relationship between the parents and the children.  The inner world of the child is murdered often before they enter school.  In addition the parents are very lost.  Now that is another very long discussion.

I wonder if there are any studies about how many parents do have children and they receive welfare and have .....HOW MANY CHILDREN?  To have a child because you can get a check should be against the law for god's sake..whose idea was that?

Rhonda, I had experience for a little while as a substitue teacher.  It is strictly a

punch in and out job.  One cannot really know the children..they act differently with

a sub and so does the staff.  Teaching is difficult unless you teach your specialty so

it is hard to have a real connection with your children.  That little experience hardly

makes one an expert on discussing who should be blamed for problems in schools.

Unless of course you substituted for several months for teachers out for a long time.

Still , substituting is vital and I am sure you were devoted or you would not have done it ..

Queenshart, I'd like to know where this punch in and out job is:).

As a matter of fact, I do consider myself an expert on discussing the problems of violence in American schools. And, again, I can attest to " How Schools Cheat".

Thanks for commenting and sharing your Opinion!

I know I am an expert on children and their emotional, physical and spiritual needs. Your theory of the school being able to help them is    " twaddle". It takes a lot more than a school to educate and raise a healthy , whole educated human being. The very sad reality is there are many children who will not be saved.  Our prisons are full of them.  Social workers are over burdened.  The foster system is failing.  These areas are getting bigger and bigger.  Half of america is on welfare .  Being poor is not the problem but being wounded, immoral and ignorant is. 

We have areas in St. Louis that cannot be driven thru.  Can experts fix this?  Crime and thugs are a reality.  I know what the problem is but I have no idea how it ever could be solved.  Perhaps many more policemen and a lot of big brother's in these areas.  Look at the border and the ways they find to get the drugs here.! 

QueensHart, "twaddle" is not a word I am familiar with. But, I am glad to learn that you "...know [you are] an expert on children and their emotional, physical and spiritual needs."

Thank you again for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and Opinions.

twad·dle (tw d l) intr.v. twad·dled, twad·dling, twad·dles. To talk foolishly; prate. n. Foolish, trivial, or idle talk or chatter. [Probably variant of dialectal twattle 

The root cause of the problems in the schools might be included in your expert discussions.

Actually the word was not appropriate so I do apologize for it for you are not foolish by any means.  Your concern is definitely important to discuss and bring awareness; however , for the children's lives that are endangered putting band-aids here will not cure the problem untilthe root cause is "named"...........................'owned"     ........... the school system  reminds me

of the monster...cut off ONE HEAD.   two more grow....the whole monster must be done

away with and it is not the administration....they too are powerless over these children who

have no anchor in their lives

Hydra by Ron Leadbetter The Hydra which lived in the swamps near to the ancient city of Lerna in Argolis, was a terrifying monster which like the Nemean lion was the offspring of Echidna (half maiden - half serpent), and Typhon (had 100 heads), other versions think that the Hydra was the offspring of Styx and the Titan Pallas. The Hydra had the body of a serpent and many heads (the number of heads deviates from five up to one hundred there are many versions but generally nine is accepted as standard), of which one could never be harmed by any weapon, and if any of the other heads were severed another would grow in its place (in some versions two would grow). Also the stench from the Hydra's breath was enough to kill man or beast (in other versions it was a deadly venom). When it emerged from the swamp it would attack herds of cattle and local villagers, devouring them with its numerous heads. It totally terrorized the vicinity for many years.  

Heracles journeyed to Lake Lerna in a speedy chariot, and with him he took his nephew and charioteer Iolaus, in search of the dreaded Hydra. When they finally reached the Hydras' hiding place, Heracles told Iolaus to stay with the horses while he drew the monster from its hole with flaming arrows. This brought out the hideous beast. Heracles courageously attacked the beast, flaying at each head with his sword, (in some versions a scythe) but he soon realized that as one head was severed another grew in its place. Heracles called for help from Iolaus, telling him to bring a flaming torch, and as Heracles cut off the heads one by one from the Hydra, Iolaus cauterized the open wounds with the torch preventing them from growing again. As Heracles fought the writhing monster he was almost stifled by its obnoxious breath, but eventually, with the help of Iolaus, Heracles removed all but one of the Hydras' heads. The one remaining could not be harmed by any weapon, so, picking up his hefty club Heracles crushed it with one mighty blow, he then tore off the head with his bare hands and quickly buried it deep in the ground, placing a huge boulder on the top. After he had killed the Hydra, Heracles dipped the tips of his arrows into the Hydras' blood, which was extremely poisonous, making them deadly.

Other versions say that while Heracles fought the Hydra the goddess Hera sent down a giant crab which attacked his feet). This legend comes from a marble relief dating from the 2nd century BCE found at ancient Lerna, showing Heracles attacking the Hydra, and near his feet is a huge crab. Also other legends say that a stray arrow set alight the forest, and it was the burning trunks which Heracles ripped up and used to cauterize the open wounds. em will be like Hydra. 

 

No problem, QueensHart. I can only put the information before the reader and share my knowledge and experience. Also having the ill-misfortune of 'up close and personal' so to speak, and recognizing other arguments (religion and family), the biggest monster in the lives of the nation's children is the education system in this country--it is far from powerless.

I have known some teachers social indulgences to be drugs.I have known about overcrowded classrooms.I have known about bad parenting I could go on and on.So where does the finger of blame really lie.Society.