Saving our youth is a conversation worth happening as many times as it takes; for our youth are our future, literally. This year Milwaukee has had over 180 homicides. According to the jsonline Milwaukee homicide counter, 88% of those deaths were shootings. 73% of those deaths were African Americans and nearly 49% of those homicides were people under the age of 30.
Just this weekend, a 17 year old girl was shot and killed at a house party near 86th and Silver Spring Dr. at a house party. The question is why. Why are young people so eager to start drama? Why do they have access to so many guns? Why are these death tolls so high at a time like this? Why are they always in our communities? Why are the young people killing each other left and right?
It’s sad to see so many families effected and so many young people never make to even see the age of 30. Why don’t the young people of today value there lives? It hurts to see our youthful peers throw their lives away time and time again when they don’t need to.
It makes me wonder, what can be done? What can we do to lessen the violence? What can we do to become more involved with the choices they make? What can we do as a community? What can we do as individuals?
Back in the day, we lived by “a village” raising a child. Back in the day, people outside of your family would look out and check for you no matter if you were blood or not. Back in the day there were limits to the foolishness that happened outside of our homes.
So how can we change the atmosphere? What can we do to show young people that their lives do matter and we do care? How do we become a person they can confide in prior to making bad decisions.
It’s evident that, for one, they need to hear that they are valued more. They need more love. They need to know that more people pay attention to them than they think.
As tough as a topic that this is, I, personally, feel everyone needs to play a role here. We need more men to stand up and stand firm in their position as a man and speak life into these young men. More men need to be out here in the streets loving on the young men. More men need to show other men that there’s a way out. They need to teach them how to get what they want the right way. Young men need to be better taught how to deal with their emotions. They need more father and big brother figures.
In my opinion, women need to embrace more girls. Although girls need more attention from fathers and big brothers as well, they need to hear more from women who can relate to their struggles. More women need to take in young women as mentees. They need to show them the ropes of peace, happiness, honor, and self love. There needs to be more value on motherly, auntie, and sisterly relationships. Older women should focus on taking in at least one young lady in hopes to inspire. We should also speak life into them. Keep them busy, teaching them how to mature, and feed their minds nothing but positivity and hope.
Each and everyone of us has a role to play in making our city a better place. The most important part is all about playing it. What about you? What do you think we should do as a community to make it a better place? What can and will you do to make it better?
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