Once again children, as young as 12 years old, have been charged with murder. And once again the community is in an uproar. The community asked how could this happen? Why did this happen? What can be done to prevent this becoming a regular recurring situation?
Most community members felt that our churches were not doing their job, and the after-school programs were failing the children. But if a child is not “in” or “at” school then is it the responsibility of those entities?
Initially many such as I demanded that the parents be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, only to find out that the children may not even live with a biological parent. The pain felt by community members was beyond description, especially for our Community of Color.
Going forward as a community we must demand individually that we as a community come together to create a solution to the problem of juvenile delinquency. Personally, I believe we should return to the concept of the orphanage, but with a new and brighter mindset to an old concept. The orphanage should be welcoming with an environment that will allow for the growth of unwanted children. It should provide a solid educational foundation, as well as, an environment where the child is safe and basic needs are met. And yes, there will be room for a religious perspective that would focus on the overall belief in God or a higher entity. For us to continue to do nothing will only give us another opportunity to feel pain that is beyond description.
This is my Thought for the Day.
Daily Thoughts 