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The old, standby answer that “it starts in the home” isn’t as valid as it used to be. That works when the home is stable, but what about kids who have lived in places that are mired in dysfunction…drugs, alcohol, abuse, violence, mental illness…what about them? Who will give them hope?

We used to understand that we are all family, and if a child was lacking something we had, it was our duty to share with them. When this way of thinking was prevalent, communities thrived, in some cases, in spite of poverty, substandard schools, etc. Our communities weren’t perfect, but they were a lot better than they are now.

I’m all for programs geared to help young people. They’re needed and they work.  Ask people who grew up in the 70s about the impact the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) had on their lives.  Then ask them what happened to their cities when Ronald Reagan abolished the program.  It opened the door to more gang violence, drugs and other crimes. Many of the people caught up in that web, for whatever reason, are the parents and grandparents of the teens and young adults wreaking havoc on our communities, and they’re having kids too.

Programs can only do so much if people are empty. Until we start filling in the gaps for children and teens and even adults with no one to let them know that they matter, we will continue to see an onslaught of violence by us, against us.

Tom’s Cure For Rampant Gun Violence  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

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