Violence in Philly

 
GunCrisis.org/ Joseph Kaczmarek

The violence in Philly is getting out of hand. There has been a rise in violence with the youth in our communities; they are being hurt or the ones doing the hurting. The youth are also attacking people in large groups, known as flash mobs. Last month a mob of teen girls between the ages of 14 and 17 were charged with attacking Temple University students; one of the victims was hit in the face with a brick.

A lot of times the killings or attacks we hear about or see on TV don’t really affect us until it hits home. Unfortunately, I am one of those many people who had to bury family members and friends way before their time. I can’t even imagine the pain of a person who has lost countless people they love, due to violence in our communities. But all too often, we choose to get over it and move on. I hear people say, they want to move away. I am guilty of it too. One time I wanted to leave my house and everything in it. That was during a time where violence in my neighborhood was out of hand; it felt like every other day someone was getting killed.


However, I realized that if I leave, my family would still be here. My younger cousins would still be raised amongst this mess. And a lot of times, it is always the innocent bystanders who are getting hurt. A few weeks ago, a young man who was only 11 years old innocently lost his life to a stray bullet in North Philadelphia. So I had to step back and think, before I get up and leave, what can I do to change my city because although Philly has a lot of downfalls, it's still our home. My advice is that before you give up, try.

There are a lot of organizations and rallies that take place to end violence. Some include Power 99’s Peace on the Streets, where they hold events and rallies to “prevent violence and increase peace". The Peace N Philly movement, events and shirts by Neo Davis “were created to promote love & peace throughout Philadelphia & the world”. Mothers in Charge is an organization that offers grief support, mentorship, intimate partner violence education and many other programs aimed to save lives. And you have YOURSELF. Why not hold your own peaceful rally in your neighborhood or on your block, mentor kids in your neighborhood and local schools, or even sign up to be a mentor at your local Boys and Girls Club. We always want change to happen overnight. I had to learn that it doesn’t, even something small can make a dent in a major problem. However, let’s work together and make a change. First stop, our schools!