I recently watched an episode of the old sitcom “Good Times”, which is set in Southside Chicago. It tells the story of a family struggling financially trying to make ends meet. The sitcom is set in the inner city backdrop of a Southside, Chicago housing project. The episode that caught my attention was one where the lead character and oldest son, JJ, is shot by a gang member. The actions that occur after illustrate the same issues we are dealing with within the same marginalized communities today.
The issues of poverty, crime, redlined housing, and gun violence are still at critical levels. As a society in the middle of dealing with a crisis that has now turned into a public health emergency, we must ask ourselves, why the more things change, the more they stay the same? How is it possible that issues that were prominent in the 70s are still present today?
The Issue
Gun violence has now been declared a public health emergency and the leading cause of death for children and young adults. Many of today’s urban communities have long been on the front lines of this public health emergency. Just earlier this month, Chicago, the same area depicted in the show "Good Times", had over 100 shootings just over the July 4th holiday weekend alone.
These shootings included several children and approximately 19 fatally wounded individuals. Despite calls to action, cure violence groups, and a myriad of other proposed plans, there is clearly much that needs to be changed. Why can’t local and state leaders get a grasp of this issue? Regardless of the amount of resources dedicated to this issue, it never seems to be enough. Local stakeholders and community leaders fail to come up with a comprehensive, and universal approach to permanently quell, and reduce gun violence plaguing our young people.
The proliferation of guns on the street is only one issue. A more holistic approach would include all parties coming together to brainstorm multiple ways to address the issue. One of the scenes in the show “Good Times” that stood out, involved what happened in the courtroom with the alleged shooter. In the scene, JJ’s accused shooter, also a teen, was being sentenced in juvenile court. The judge realizes that all of the juvenile holding facilities are overcrowded so has to release the offender into his mother's custody.
The mother proceeds to berate the young man outside the courtroom and ends her tirade by saying, “I wish you were never born and that you weren’t my child.” JJ’s father overhears this and immediately begins to feel sorry for the youth. Instead of wanting to hurt him for shooting his son JJ, he ends up feeling sorry for him, and in that moment forgives him. His wife arrives and he asks her, "Is it wrong to feel bad for the person who shot my son?” The scene ends with that powerful question.
Similarly, the convicted shooter of famous Drill Rap artist, Pop Smoke, was released and interviewed recently. The shooter did time as a juvenile and was released with a shorter sentence. In one of his interviews he mentions not being sorry for the killing and only being sorry for the family. His reasoning was that Pop Smoke rapped and lived a certain way, and therefore there was nothing to feel sorry for. The interview was brought to the attention of the late rapper's mother and her response was to tell the interviewer she couldn't dwell on what he said and had to move on. What resonated was her revelation that just like her son’s life was over so was the shooter's. Her reason highlighted anyone with that mentality of not valuing or understanding the cost of taking another human’s life, is not living themselves.
Until we start addressing these children and doing more than feeling sorry for them, this cycle of violence will not end. Until we recognize that rehabilitation means not just putting someone in jail, but also reprogramming them to learn to love and honor all lives, this epidemic will not truly end.
The Need
Beyond feeling sorry, there is a need to acknowledge the real issues impacting kids in their lives and households. It is necessary to reach children where they are, and as early as possible to change the tide of violence. There are many anti-gun violence groups who embrace this methodology. However, not nearly enough. Programs that highlight self love and worth must be integrated into the earliest points of our young people's lives. Children as young as six years old should recognize their worth and the power in loving themselves and nurturing their gifts. This mindset will not just teach them their limitless possibilities in their lives but also the importance of valuing others lives as well. This powerful mindshift can potentially eliminate the instinct to harm or worse kill another human being.
We focus so much on what education should look like, yet, we underestimate the power of teaching children about their dreams, aspirations, and the importance of self love. A more centered approach on these themes can lead to less reliance on violence, self harm, and abusive relationships. Reimagining our education and support systems for young people and adults should factor in these crucial fundamental tools. Jobs and resources mean nothing to youth and young adults who don't have the tools to love and value their own lives, yet alone the lives of others.
To truly see a shift in violence and changing the tide in gun violence, it is necessary for stakeholders to come together to implore leaders to make the critical changes needed to integrate these life saving tools into education systems, mentoring programs, and other community based programs for children, teens, and young adults. Teens and young adults also need accountability, true rehabilitation if a crime or act of violence is committed, and most importantly have access to mandatory mentorship. A recent example of what can happen when these factors are missing can be seen in the previous example outline with the convicted killer of Pop Smoke.
The example highlighted with the convicted young adult assailant of Pop Smoke shows what can happen when prison serves as just a revolving door and with no rehabilitation provided. The assailant's short sentence as a juvenile has not appeared to have taught him anything including remorse for the crime he did and the life he took. What lesson was learned in prison and what rehabilitative measures were provided to keep him from committing the same heinous act in the future? Accountability is a necessary part of rehabilitation and a life saving tool. Until we embrace every tool within our arsenal as communities to change this growing tide of violence, we will continue to send the wrong message to our children and young people. We are all stakeholders and can and should reach out to our local leaders to demand change and support for cure violence groups and expand preventative measures within our school systems.
Every child and young adult deserves to grow older and to have the opportunity to achieve their dreams. The path forward must begin with self recognition of your worth and your value to others. Good times should be in reach to everyone and can only occur when we all invest in our communities and our young people. As the African proverb states,” It takes a village to raise a child.”
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