Gregory Freeman: Some Questions On Crime Are Hard To Answer. P-D 3/12/1996

Headline: SOME QUESTIONS ON CRIME ARE HARD TO ANSWER
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Tue., Mar. 12, 1996
Section: WAR PAGE, Page: 9B, Edition: FIVE STAR LIFT

THE MAN ROSE from his chair, a concerned, almost grim expression on his face.
Why, he wanted to know, weren't more blacks outraged by the murders of black youngsters and why weren't black leaders doing anything about it? When a young black man was shot by a Hispanic police officer several weeks ago, many blacks spoke out, but when innocent teen-agers are killed by other teen-agers, the outrage seems muted, he said.
The pointed question was directed at me, the speaker Sunday night at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Dellwood. The questioner was white, and his question indicated a puzzlement on his part about African-Americans.

I paused for thought and then gave him an honest answer: I wasn't sure. I told him that some blacks are outraged by the murders and are trying to do what they could about them.
Organizations have sprung up in recent years, such as Families Advocating Safe Streets, which last week placed yellow ribbons and black ribbons at the murder sites of all 33 victims killed in St. Louis this year and which continues to do what it can to reduce homicides.
Or Organized Men Against Juvenile Crime, headed by Robert Cunningham. That group's designed to help teach youngsters about resolving conflict in a nonviolent manner.

Individuals are working on the problem too. People like Ricardo Ramey, whom I mentioned in my column on Sunday. Ramey spends his free time working with young people, trying to point them in the right direction. Not only did he help pull together a successful march and rally on Sunday in an effort to bring the positive messages of the Million Man March to young people, he's also worked with kids, convincing them that there's a better way for young people to resolve their troubles than blowing each other away.
That, I think, is where the answer lies.

I told him I didn't think the answer would come from politicians' proclamations. As much as a politician may regret any murder, we're kidding ourselves if we think some kid is going to say, "Hey, the head of the aldermanic Dogcatchers Committee says I shouldn't shoot anyone, so I'm going to turn in my gun now and join a church."
Life doesn't work that way. No matter how much outrage a politician may express about kids killing kids, that's not going to resolve the problem, and I suspect that, like most folks, politicians aren't really sure what to do about it.

The answers should lie with the parents, I told him. Parents are supposed to be responsible for their kids. But some aren't even responsible for themselves. Some, I'm afraid, couldn't teach their kids morals and values if their lives depended on it.
How do you tell your kid not to sell drugs when you're benefiting from the drug sales? How can you tell your son or daughter to leave guns alone when you're carrying them yourself?

What that means is that there's a need for a lot more Robert Cunninghams and Ricardo Rameys in the world. It's less important what color they are and more important how willing they are to help, how much time they're willing to spend and, yes, how much patience they have.
I tire of that phrase that it takes a whole village to raise a child - largely because it's been much overused - but it's become more and more accurate these days. If parents aren't willing to raise their kids, someone else has to step forward and do it.
To some extent, kids are like plants. They will grow, regardless of whether someone is there to help them. But if we don't want them to grow wild and get out of control, we've got to work with them when they're young and manageable. It's often too late if we wait until they're older.

To answer the question about the muted outrage among blacks, I suggested that it's always easier to lash out at someone else than it is to criticize yourself. It's easier to criticize the police when a kid is killed than it is for some blacks to criticize other blacks.
That's not so unbelievable. Think back to the bombing in Oklahoma City last year. It was easier for Americans to imagine that such a heinous act had been committed by foreigners than it was to imagine that Americans were responsible. The first reaction, in fact, was that the bombing had been committed by someone of Arab descent.
It's also easier to criticize a cop who shot a kid in the back than it is to realize that something deeper is going on here that will take more than walking with picket signs to make a change.

The man sank back into his seat, a thoughtful look on his face. I suspect that he wasn't completely satisfied with my answers.
Sadly, to be honest, neither was I.

Gregory Freeman's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Friday ... < deleted >

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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