Work together to end inner-city violence

Black youth across this country are faced with a serious challenge that no one black president or mayor maybe able to fix. Violent crimes among black youth ages 17-29 in urban areas have been on the rise, and no one seems to have any real solutions. You hear the stories in the news every day, not to mention on social media, of children being killed while playing in front of their homes. One tragic loss after another, but will it ever end?

Many young black and Hispanic men in America are so used to things being done to them, for them or against them that the influences of "doing the right thing" are simply not a part of their consciousness - and are often burdened by feelings of ill-content that this country has routinely shown for them. Violence in our communities divides us as a people, black and white. It is often aggravated by a cycle of self-abuse and neglect within single-family households. And although most of us who no longer live in the inner city have gotten pretty immune to the ongoing violence, at some point we all become victims if we don't work together to try to do something about it.

Let's pray that together we're able to put an end to the senseless violence that has plagued our communities.

William J. Booker

Chicago