Just Thinking About it!

THE CONVERSATION

Have you ever listened to a debate or conversation and not know which side represented you? I mean it's not like you lack the skills to differentiate, it's just that it really gave you Food for Thought.

There were four men debating about what Law Enforcement represents in Our Culture; and the debate got really intense. One gentleman said that Law Enforcement is always there when you need them, and yet people do not respect them as they should. He said these men and women place their lives on the line daily; and they have to deal with the scum of the earth without any real recognition for the very people they are protecting. He said people are always quick to judge the law and blame them for all of the ills of the world; and not realize that these men and women fear for their lives daily. He asked how many of you would put your life on the line daily to defend others?

The second gentlemen said that Law Enforcement Officials are corrupt individuals who do not care about anyone but themselves; as they continue to protect their own whether right or wrong. He said Community Policing is a thing of the past where neighborhoods knew their officers and looked out for them. He said law enforcement use to realize that the citizens are the ones paying their income and they are the ones that hired them to protect us all. He said that officers have become cruel and non caring and look at everyone the same and have immuned themselves from feeling; and recognizing that we are all people. He said officers will come to your home and shoot it up and ask questions later and that he did not know the difference between the Police and Assassins. He said it has become Law Enforcement against the People, rather than protectors of the People. He went all over the place, he said that we have become dog friendly rather than people friendly, I think he may have exaggerated when he said that a man could do more time for killing a dog, than he could for killing a man. He said all of the killings of young minority men happening daily and they haven't prosecuted anyone or found the culprit; but let a dog be abandoned or ill treated, the courts, law enforcement, the ASPCA, PITA, etc will tear you to shreds. He was really riled up and everyone was just listening to him rant.

The other gentlemen said that Law Enforcement goes through so much adversity daily that they do not know who to trust and they stick together to keep themselves protected from harm. He said you forget that these officers are not just a badge, they are people as well and they need protection just like the next person. He gave an analogy of an officer being on the street after squealing on another officer; he said gangs, murderers and the criminal elements of the world all coming after this officer, if he doesn't stand up for his brother, he is on the streets alone. He said who wants to be alone on the streets, nobody, so you back up on your own regardless of the consequences. He said you cannot expect officers to be on the side of the public, when these are the very people which will crucify them at the drop of a hat.

The fourth gentleman shared that this world we live in has regressed and become the Wild West West and each man, woman and child is for himself. He said parents cannot protect their children, men cannot protect their families and law enforcement views everyone as criminals until proven innocent. He said we all need to bear arms and realize in the end we are all people wanting to live and be safe and you gotta look out for yourself. He said men are killing their wives, children are killing their parents and law enforcement is killing anyone who looks suspicious. He said this world is trifiling, you have a young man visiting his father in a gated community and people debating as to if he should have been killed or not. If you have our children being shot down in the streets like animals merely because they look like they are going to be up to no good; as people are making excuses as to why a man may have been led to the realization, that it was okay to kill this young man, then what can we expect in life as a society?

I was listening to this intense and heavy debate and all of the viewpoints and all I could say was uhhmmm, they really made me think about so much. I remember one of my friends called the police because her husband was threatening her and the kids, and she didn't know what he would do; the police arrived and spoke to both of them and asked her what she had done; she said that she couldn't believe how one sided the conversation went as the officers took her husband outside, and asked him to calm down as they laughed like friends. She said she was dumbfounded about how she was portrayed as the little woman that was paranoid or overreacting. She was later discouraged about contacting the police no matter what threats were made, because she felt Law Enforcement would just brush it off or make things worst. I mean should she label all law enforcement in this manner, just because of the negative actions of two?

The perception of the Police/Law Enforcement varies in communities and amongst different groups of people. I asked myself the other day as to why I always slow down when police officers drive near, I mean If I am going the speed limit and all of my papers are in order, why am I pulling the brakes? It was the fear factor of maybe being pulled over whether you were doing something wrong or not, but why? I do not know if it has been embedded in my mind or just from growing up in an environment where the police were not your friends all the time, but were viewed as the enemy. I personally respect Police Officers and Law Enforcement for the jobs that they do, it is not easy and they place their lives on the line daily. I also know that there are some not so great elements that plague the police force, as incidents tend to weed them out. We do not want people labeling us in one heap and the Police cannot be labeled in one heap either, there have been some Great Officers that look out for their assigned communities and people in general.

The debate continued as various topics were brought to the forefront and they are probably still debating right now as everyone believed their opinion to be the best. All I can personally say is that I hope that People that wear the badge, where it with Honor and Pride as they should, because they are doing a Great job by stepping up to the plate, being on the forefront and protecting their communities, cities and states; but for those who forget that they were hired by the people for the people, you need to find another line of work.

One of the gentleman said when you bust into the wrong house and kill the wrong person and not feel sadness or remorse that is a sad day; especially when you are entrusted with the lives of others. One cannot take the responsibility lightly of having the authority over life.

One question I personally had was if someone is trying to commit suicide on themselves mind you, why do police pull out a gun on them? If someone is trying to kill themselves, why pull a gun on them or shoot them? I mean no one else is in danger and they are killed sometimes, why not allow them to kill themselves rather than someone else pull the trigger for them. I mean I digress a little, but that was a question I truly had, I never understood that methodology. What is the difference with someone killing themselves and law enforcement killing them?

These men had quite a few people in the room thinking and pondering on their various viewpoints and it was intense. We all view Our Rights and the Law differently, and it was just interesting hearing how a diversified group of men looked in the window on this topic.

The bottom line is we all need Law Enforcement to protect us from the bad elements and the ills of the world, we just pray that we encounter the right ones at the right time as we give them thanks for being their for us as the PEOPLE!

OUR CHILDREN

SPEAKING STRENGTH TO EACH OTHER
Part One:  Our Children Series and What We Face

Challenges, Challenges and more Challenges, We live in a World where we face challenges daily and how we respond to those challenges will determine the path we take in Life..

My children joke with me and call me old, and they say that I grew up in a time where things were different. I cannot understand how we have allowed our society to become plagued with so much violence. I am not just speaking of minority on minority crimes, police against minorities crimes, domestic violence and random gun violence; but society as a whole thinking the worst of each other and not lending a helping hand. I remember growing up and hearing how a community/village raises a child; but yet so many of us do not look out for each others children.

The hatred, the lack of patience and the lack of love for one another is overwhelming; when did we become these people. We have to be there for one another, we have to look out for each others kids and put action behind our words of family and love. We have to seek out the real answers to so many of our questions:

• Why my kid, why that kid?
• What can I do to help?
• What is the problem?
• Why are our kids killing each other?
• Why aren't the police on our side, is it . us against them?

The questions can go on and on and over and over again. We all could be doing so much more to protect and empower our communities as we provide security and stability for our children.

Racism plays a major role in our society and yes we are getting closer and closer to overcoming Racism, but it does still exist. When a Police Officer views your child as an animal and not a person because of the color of his or her skin, what can you do? Our children have to continue to be careful and watch what they say, watch what they do and who they talk to; as usual as we try to keep them safe. I remember going into a store with my daughter and being followed all around the store, you can see people coming in and out and up and down your aisle and piercing through the clothing racks hoping to catch you stealing. My daughter asked me why they were following us; and as you ponder the question you can feel your eyes swelling with water as you explain that they just want to make sure we are not stealing. To be honest it is not a nice feeling at all to be followed around in the store, especially when the others in the store are comfortable to shop as they choose. I spoke to the floor attendant in front of my daughter and stated boldy that "we have money' so do not worry, we will not steal. The person was so embarrassed that they turned red and went to the other side of the store. Someone who has never had to worry about things like that cannot comprehend this concern nor experience. We have learned to brush it off and to teach our children to do the same, but it is a reality whether we choose to acknowledge it or not; we as minorities are judged not just by the opposite race, but by our own as well. We have to go to battle daily just to survive.

Our children face these challenges daily and they just try to merely survive. There are minority children being killed daily and yet outrage only surfaces when children of other races are killed as well, because it is expected that minority children be killed because they are savages and not human so their death is expected in the world they live in.

None of us have all of the answers and we have to learn to love our fellow man and treat our families and neighbors with respect (Basically as we would want to be treated). When you hear about young kids being killed daily and shot down in the street like animals; we all vent for a minute and then what; the whispers are let them vent for a minute and they will refrain and get weary. We are weary, we are so very tired of burying our young people daily; when with this turmoil end? One kid said that he feels like this is the Wild Wild West and you never know if you will make it home, whether you know how to use your gun or not. This young man is sixteen years old and he is living in a war zone in his own community.

We listen to people venting daily, when a mother has to get on the school bus to fight for the safety of her child, yes we are appaulled that an adult, a mother would react in this manner and no matter what you should know better; but there are two sides to every coin. Not taking any sides and just hearing a scenario, (we are not condoning by any means this type of behavior) imagine every day your child complaining about mistreatment on their bus ride home, you speak with the school, you complain and you vent and to your dismay the status quo for this treatment of your child continues. what do you do next? We all think that we know, but do we?

Personal Experience Time: This is my Blog I can share;

I remember being beat up every day on the school bus when I was in Elementary School by a Girl named Gail, I mean she would smack me on the back of my head, she would kick me and I would just sit there and cry as everybody looked on and laughed. I didn't want to tell my mother because I was embarrassed, so I just feared riding home on the bus every evening. One day one of my oldest brothers came to pick me up at the bus stop before I had time enough to dry my face from the tears, he asked me why I was crying; another kid told him that this girl beats up your sister every day. Needless to say this was my tough brother and he got upset with me for allowing someone to beat up on me daily, so he decided he would beat me up all the way home; and he agreed that this would be continuous daily since I seemed to like and endure the abuse. I decided to share with my mother what had been going on (my brother threatened to tell),  and she was livid. My mother was upset with me for not saying anything and she was upset with the school for not stepping in ( I never told anyone at the school).

Well, my mother went up to the school and they said they would handle it; I was so happy to ride the bus the next day and unfortunately Gail was ready and waiting for me, and my harassment was worst than before. I told my mother what had happened and she told me that I would have to stand up for myself and fight back, because nothing else was being done. Let me tell you back in those days you could have a fight and live to tell about it, nowadays it is a fight to the death, literally. I remember holding a pen in my hand and walking through the auditorium with my class and some other classes, Gail decided that she wanted to pick on my in front of everyone. I vowed to myself that if this girl messed with me one more time, I was going to take her down. My good friend said here she comes and Gail came up behind me and pushed me; I had a pen in my hand and I just started attacking her, all I remember was the Principal grabbing and saying "LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE", I saw blood and ink all over her face and I was more scared than ever before, I thought I was going to jail!

Well, the school contacted her parents and they contacted mine and the response was not at all as I initially anticipated. My mother threatened to sue the school if they suspended me, she told them that she had voiced her concerns and complained about the harassment and nothing was done. The Principal spoke with his office and they confirmed what my mother had said and I was not suspended, but Gail was and my life was forever changed at that very moment. I became the Girl that kicked Gails buttocks and respect was then granted.

Gail and I later became friends (she apologized to me) and I was able to hold my head up high and feel a sense of freedom. Kids face these types of crisis everyday, but with guns and massive emails and social media abuse at times. We have to protect our children at all costs or else they will truly become a statistic.

We will discuss many topics in one article and focus on Real Life incidents.

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PARENTS POWERFUL OR POWERLESS

The Holiday Season places a Great deal of emphasis on embracing your loved ones as you step out on Faith and lend a helping hand to others. I look at my three children and I say thank you God for blessing me with my babies no matter what their current age(they will say they are not babies anymore).

I also sit back and reflect and ponder on all the children that are losing their lives daily to crazy people with gun access. We all know that guns are not responsible for deaths, it is the people that pull the trigger that have the ultimate blame; but just like anything else in life, their needs to be restrictions. If I think about all of the people that would have felt my wrath if I had access to a gun at the time of my anger, I would seriously be doing hard time right now. I believe if you want a gun you should be allowed to have one (to protect yourself or for hunting), but we all need to pass a background check, and we do not need access to assault weapons.

Sometimes in life we allow our emotions to control us without thinking and we act, we cannot take back our actions after pulling the trigger. We cannot change what our immediate thought and actions were at the time we had that gun in our hands. The truth is even Police Officers and other Law Enforcement Agents have reacted out of emotion and have caused the loss of life of many civilians.

We believed that the Wild Wild West days were over, but the crying in the streets because of children losing their lives daily is not a movie, but rather real life and true reality.  We believe that these cries and pleas for help are being voiced by other people without realizing that the chances are we can become those parents crying; if we do not take stronger and more serious action to stop this massive violence plaguing our homes, communities and streets. I have two sons and a daughter, and I place my faith in God daily to protect them as there are no longer any safe havens, not even in our schools, to keep our babies safe.

Our children are being killed when they do the right things, when they are in the right places and they are following the right rules. If a child sits down in a classroom and is shot down like a beast in the wild, something is definitely wrong with this picture. I am a mother and I fear for the safety of my children. When my teenage son tells me how other children speak freely about shooting or taking the life of another child because of a mere disagreement, whether with malice intent or fabrication to sound important it can no longer be taken for granted.  THIS IS REAL. I AM CONCERNED WHEN THERE IS NO LONGER A HIGH VALUE ON LIFE. LIVES ARE DISMISSED DAILY LIKE IT MEANS NOTHING.

We ban marijuana in some states, we place restrictions on cigarette usage, drugs and alcohol, but guns are there to help us stand our ground, where do we live in Tombstone? The outrage to gun violence comes at the death of young children; and now all children are more fearful than ever before as they are exposed to the reality of the detrimental violence in this world.

Black youths have been murdered at alarming rates in many states and yet their cries for help have gone unheard and unnoticed. I believe the results of so many young lives being taken at one time is where the disbelief has now been unveiled. Reality is beginning to check in and comprehend in the minds of all. ALL OF OUR CHILDREN, NO MATTER WHAT CULTURAL BACKGROUND ARE AT RISK..

What does it say about us as a Society about the children that have always believed their Parents to have the POWER TO PROTECT THEM? We the Parents are becoming POWERLESS IN PROTECTING THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN. Do we have to spend our days at work wondering if we will see our children again? We cannot control everything, and it use to be just problem children would be effected by gun violence and those other communities, well now it is being recognized that all communities are being effected. We as Parents need to take back our Power and control and give our children the reassurance that we will be there for them, that we will do our best to protect them. No more senseless shootings and killings, no more parents sobbing with no relief in site. We have to take control and protect our children. People are not animals, if we have the knowledge to go to the moon, we can control gun violence.

I don't want to be another parent crying over of the loss of a child, WE HAVE TO STAND OUR GROUND AS PARENTS AND TAKE CONTROL OF THIS WILD, WILD WEST MENTALITY. WHY DOES ANY LAW ABIDING AMERICAN/CITIZEN NEED TO HAVE ALL OF THESE WEAPONS, ASSAULT RIFLES ETC. ???

WE AS PEOPLE, PARENTS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND SAY NO MORE, WE WILL PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. WE MUST STAND POWERFUL AND NOT BE POWERLESS..

HEART COLOR

Not sure if people realize that the only color the heart knows is red, the color of blood that keeps flowing through it as it pumps. The pain that people experience because the color of their skin determines their worth in the eyes of some people is unimaginable.

People say that words do not hurt, but in all reality they do and it can be detrimental in some cases. I remember growing up and hearing comments that today or any day would be considered racist, but growing up in New York we called them cracking on one another. Just like momma jokes they were to get on people as we would go back and forth with the cracking of banter to see who could be the funniest and get the most laughs. Today this format would be considered bullying and has been labeled as a source of teen suicide. This format has weakened many and pushed them to the edge of life. So these comments and culture has overflowed into the workplace and government as well; adults are experiencing this same type of color and bullying banter. 

I remembered hearing jokes such as you are so black you sweat coffee, or you are so black when you smile you light up a room. Today we say kids can be so cruel, back then it was strength that kept you witty and trying not to allow these wise cracks to tear down your person and character; your goal was to be able to bounce back and come out stronger next time. Many young people pretended it didn't bother them because they did not want to appear weak, but some of them had really hurt feelings and your goal was to not be crushed by the jokes of someone else. 

We are all more mature now and know that this type of banter is not acceptable, especially when we do not want our own children on the receiving end of this type of bullying; yet the same things are said to our young people and even worst today. The worst part is that due to the web, these comments can be heard throughout the world, whereas growing up it would only be the immediate group since we lacked the universal technological resources to spread such negative vibes.

Our hearts all hurt the same way and when we as people constantly divide ourselves according to our birth identity we hurt the world. We as people need to seriously take a step back and look at the messages we are sending our children when we say one color is better than another. When our children color with their markers and crayons in their coloring books, do we ask them to take out the black, white, red or green crayons? The answer should be No! We allow them to use all of the colors of the rainbow and more to make their artwork or colored drawings more beautiful and that is how it should be, we have to stop with this nonsense about color division. Light skinned, dark skinned, brown skinned, solely white etc. We teach our children how to discriminate and become racists, this is not something that they are born knowing. We are basically a culture that teaches our children how to hate and it is wrong.; so many of us teach our children how to love and yet the miserable few teach just the opposite.

The United States is the melting pot of different people from all over the world and when we try to determine that some people are less worthy than others, solely on the basis of how God created them, we hurt Ourselves, Our Children and Our World. When comments go across the airwaves that a whole group of people are lazy, do you mean to tell me that not one person in that whole race believes in employment? 

On a personal note, I grew up with both of my parents in Brooklyn, New York, both of my parents hailed from the beautiful island of Trinidad & Tobago, my mother didn't have to work, but she choose to work when we were old enough as teenagers to take care of ourselves. My father always provided food, shelter and love. My father was a strong man that retired from his job after 25 years, he got up every morning like clock work and went to work, I rarely remember my dad being sick or calling in sick, he had to be crying death to stay home in bed; so when I hear the ignorance of some journalists, politicians and commentators making comments about a group of people wanting handouts, it makes me boil. If they would take the time to get to know people, rather than assume they know them, they would know that those comments are out of line, out of order and completely disrespectful. Our hearts know no color, they all break and feel pain the same way, and it hurts when people have the audacity to make them.

We all know that every race has people that cause chaos and conflict, but to label a whole group of people is wrong. The bottom line is when you try to label a group of people as unworthy or not significant factors in the world, you eliminate the best attributes of these people and everyone loses out on sharing in their contributions to the world. You basically are trying to diminish the blessings and shared gifts of a whole race of people. This world was not built by a select few, everyone has paid the price, laid the brick to help form a civilized world, and the actions and comments of a few cannot take away that fact. We as people need to stop allowing the degrading of people and not allow class warfare or color warfare to dictate our future. Class warfare, color warfare and entitlement are causing havoc and it needs to come to a halt. We are all people wanting the best for our families, and we should all have the same opportunities to achieving these goals without the mean spirit or suppression by others.

We have to begin healing as a people and as a nation and realize that true and real love knows no color, it feeds off of the heart being utilized to embrace all people. We have to learn to love all of God's children from all walks of life, because we are the very fabric that keeps enhancing the beauty in the world. Our hearts are meant to love, not to hate. We have to learn and know the difference and put our ignorant ways of thinking in the trash and move on to embrace and engulf the future in a positive manner, through the Heart Color called "Love".

By Sharock P.

The Beginning and The End

We all have to make the most out of our lives, there are so many people who do not value our lives or their own. When you are in an abusive relationship and you stay, the people that you love the most are the ones that suffer in the end. We as women love so hard and deep and when we are fed up, we just let go. After a woman is beaten to a pulp, her dignity is gone, her zest is gone and her real being is gone. When a woman is at the end of rope and she decides to hang on for dear life, she no longer will sustain the abuse and move on. The heart wrenching part of it all, is that when she decides that enough is enough, some men cannot deal with that reality and they decide to end the lives of these women.

We hear everyday about women losing their lives and it is truly sad. Women from all walks of life experience abuse first hand and their is no discrimination in abuse, any woman from any background can experience domestic violence, rich or poor, black or white, the experience of abuse can strike us all.

I listen to women daily who say it couldn't be me, I wouldn't take no man hitting me! Well, I do not believe any woman likes to be abused, but the will to stay is sometimes stronger than the will to leave. Some women do not believe that they can make it on their own and they are fearful of starting all over again by themselves. Men thrive on that mindset because they keep the women in line with this way of thinking.

Experiencing abuse at the hands of someone that your heart yearns for is devastating, you know deep down in your heart that it's not right, but you focus on the person you knew before, not the person that is in the here and now. You know that this person has a good side and you are trying to bring that loving side back out and through this journey the abuse endured is unbelievable. You are devastated, you feel lost and you question the person you are. You say to yourself, I am not this person, I am not someone that allows a man to beat her, but when you look in the mirror, you actually have a reality check, it is you!

For those that are aware of your abuse they tell you to leave, but they do not understand what both of you have shared, nobody really understands how passionate you love each other, and your union with this person is strong. You don't leave at the first signs of trouble, plus you do not want to be labeled a failure, so you continue to endure and hide the truth. You hear constantly your friends that are telling you to leave, don't even have a man, they are jealous of what you have, so don't let them ruin your love or life.

The reality is that hiding the truth is also hiding yourself. You are no longer the person you used to be, you are now a shell of a person and a person living in fear. Your joy has left your body and your smile has become a frown, it even hurts to commit to a fake smile to feel better or impress others. How could you have been so wrong about someone? Why are you facing these challenges? Is this some horrible way of being paid back from any wrongs in your past? You now look at this individual who pretends that everything that is wrong in his world is your fault. He wants to kiss you, he wants to hit you, he wants to have sex with you and tell you how much he loves you; and then he tells you nobody else will want you; so basically your best bet is to stay with him and endure.

The worst part of it all is that whether long term or briefly you believe him and doubt yourself. You believe that he is it, that you cannot do better. We can see the signs of abusive men, men that get on facebook and other social sites and degrade women, men that share their business on facebook and other sites are abusive because they feel a sense of power in their actions. Men that want to tell you what to wear and how to dress, that constantly put you down and tell you if you have gained an ounce of weight or you are not as pretty as you used to be. Men that try to separate you from your family and friends and complain that you are not giving them enough attention, because your world is supposed to revolve around theirs. If you feel that you have to always rush home and that you can never go out ANYWHERE, that is also a questionable tactic on their part.

Life is meant to be lived in the beginning and to the end, don't let your life be dictated and eventually be taken away, love yourself and be careful with who you choose to love.

Children are the Victims

One of the saddest things in this world is how children sometimes go unprotected. There are men and women sexually abusing children every second, minute and hour of each day. These helpless children are the prey of pedophiles. The worst part of it, is that some people are made aware of these abusive practices and pretend to be blinded by this injustice.

Who are we as people if we do not stand up for the children. I mean the children, who are being abused, molested, tortured, kidnapped and sold. If you imagine the worst thing that happened to you as a child and you could only remember being yelled at or not allowed to go out with your friends, you are certainly one of the blessed ones. But if you can regress back to a time when you told your mother that your stepfather was touching you inappropriately and she told you to stop lying and being a slut, or the time when your brother tried to have sexual relations with you and you had no choice in the matter, or your coach takes you in the shower and does unthinkable things to you, then you have fallen prey to the abusers in this world. We are slacking and lacking in protecting our children and it is not right.

What would make a child think twice about sharing this experience with their parents if molested? What kind of mind would mentally justify molesting a child? What kind of parent would not believe a child or even investigate when a child shares information about sexual abuse? What makes us doubt our children? Wouldn't there be at the back of your mind and thoughts that they could be telling the truth? These people are sick and they need help, but in the mean time these children suffer. I do not have all of the answers; but what I can say is to allow a child to be physically hurt and molested is cruel. To know that something wrong has happened and not be attentive to aiding a child is wrong. We have to do better in our roles as adults, even when we do not want to get involved. These scars are everlasting and we have to do our best to help prevent children from experiencing these painful injustices. We are all that they have, shouldn't we help them until they can help themselves? Would you want someone there for you? Pay attention and Care..Silence can be the scar of a lifetime.

Greg Norman: Steve Williams a little dumb in comments but not racist

Greg Norman: Steve Williams a little dumb in comments but not racist

How to End Violence

Rev. Al Sharpton

President, National Action Network

How to End Violence? Get Guns Off of the Street

Whenever we hear of horrific tragedies like the slaying of Zurana Horton, a 34-year-old mother of 13 who was killed by a stray bullet last Friday while shielding children outside of an elementary school in Brooklyn, we often ask ourselves how such a travesty could happen. We watch as mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children and all those left behind mourn the loss of their loved ones and grapple with how to push forward with their head held high. But what we do not focus on enough is how guns have gotten into the hands of the wrong people in the first place, and why they are so readily accessible to them. This week in NY, eight NYPD officers were charged with helping to run a gun-smuggling ring in a city already grappling with unresolved shootings. Whether it's illegal trafficking on the streets or organized illegal trafficking with the assistance of authority, bottom line is, we must stop guns from coming into our community -- period.
I can't begin to tell you how many funerals I've attended or how many family members I've tried to comfort after they traumatically lost someone near and dear to them to a senseless act of violence. Often times caught in a crossfire of bullets, these innocent victims have ranged in age from infants to grandmothers, and have been killed while completing everyday tasks like picking up children from school or running an errand, or simply sitting in their home. But what is strikingly clear is that a vast majority of these shooting victims have been Black and Latino, and we simply cannot remain silent about saving our families and protecting our streets.
Gun supporters and advocates always champion the 2nd Amendment and our right to bear arms. But this right doesn't mean that everyone should possess a weapon. It doesn't mean guns should be so readily accessible to the least stable among us. And it doesn't mean that we don't need stricter gun laws to keep them out of the hands of criminals and those with a complete disregard for human life. Perhaps the fierce gun proponents need to take a walk in our neighborhoods, where young children have to dodge bullets just to get an education, or where mothers and fathers spend sleepless nights figuring out ways to keep their families safe. Or maybe they need to have a conversation with Zurana Horton's 13 children who will now have to somehow survive without a mother for the rest of their lives.
The trafficking of guns in this country is it an astronomical level. The sheer fact that police officers who are hired to serve and protect us would willingly participate in such behavior is egregious at best. We must ensure that those eight NYPD law enforcement officials receive the appropriate punishment and we all must work to get these guns off of our streets and out of the hands of would-be murderers. We at NAN previously held gun buy-back programs, and we will continue such activities with the hopes that others will follow suit.
We cannot continue to watch heroes like Zurana Horton lose their lives, and we cannot continue to bury our precious ones. Life is indeed short, but let's not make it shorter by killing one another needlessly. Get guns out of the community and stop them from ever finding their way back in. Together, we can save ourselves -- and the next generation.

 

Follow Rev. Al Sharpton on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheRevAl