How many children must needlessly die to gun violence before people who have a heart, a soul, and a shred of decency stand up together to make it stop? How many innocent teenagers need to be murdered and assassinated by illegal guns before something is done? Why do the black and brown children of my city needlessly suffer and struggle to lead ordinary lives, free of fear and struggle?
I'm so angry right now, so this will be a relatively short diary.
Last night, a former student of mine, 17 years old, was murdered in a drive by shooting. He was walking with a group of friends in a park when someone drove by and shot into the group.
Last year, a freshman student of mine at the age of 14 years old was found murdered and his body dumped in the lagoon of a local park. He had been missing for six weeks.
Last October, another freshman student of mine was shot in broad daylight near the school. At just 15 years old, he was assassinated in the street by an unknown man in an SUV.
Last January, a 14 year old freshman student from a local high school was assassinated on my block while standing on his porch enjoying the evening. It was later discovered the the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
I'm so angry and distraught by all this right now. Each time another student is killed, it brings back a flood of some really bad memories. The city of Chicago is dealing with some very serious gang problems. The city of Chicago is also flooded with illegal hand guns that have made their way into the city through a variety of means. These aren't assault weapons, but small concealable hand guns.
If you care more about your own gun rights than you do about the rights of children to live in peace, I have nothing to say to you except a string of expletives that will probably get me banned from this website.