Several months ago, another 16 year old child was shot dead in front of a teen establishment; the second shooting on the same block of a Savannah teen in a three month span.
This time the shooting stood out more than others normally do because the victims were brothers killed by the same gun on the same corner just months apart. They were both active members in a gang which is where most teens on our streets turn when they have no supervision at home. Not all, but most of the teens on the streets are from a broken home; drug addict parents or just plain abandoned and the only way of life they know is the streets and survival. There is always the exception of a wayward teen from a loving family but most are a product of what they were born into; drugs, lies and violence.
I was truly amazed at how a City Alderman proposed we handle this second shooting incident and the unruly teens that roam our streets. Instead of making the PARENTS responsible, he proposed that they pass an ordinance making the teen establishments responsible for getting these teens home safely. What? My guess is that the Alderman wanted the establishment to provide limo rides home for the teen gang members because their parents are too irresponsible to make their child mind. I’ve never heard of such a cop out to a problem in my life. Even though many of these kids have worthless, drug addict parents who do not teach their child right from wrong, they should STILL be held accountable for their child’s actions. Maybe if a law was passed to also charge the parents with murder if their child is out past curfew and is either killed or kills another; or perhaps charge them with neglecting a child; anything to make the parent wake up and take care of their children. Something needs to be done to help these children of the streets before they turn to gangs and violence and if they aren’t getting guidelines at home; then we need to do something to help them.
Most of these kids either end up in jail for life, dying of Aids or dead by a bullet before they reach adulthood. Many end up in jails and when they’re released they have nowhere to go when they get out and no family who cares, so they ultimately end up right back where they started. Many are prostitutes, some infected with AIDS, drug addicts, drug dealers and thieves; some even murderers and most of them are under the age of 21.
The crimes they commit are horrendous yet they continue doing them because they’ve never been taught any different. We have to pull together as one and fight this growing problem all over the country, in every city, in every state. We have to stand up for the children of the streets because they have no one else who will!