In our land of plenty and in Somalia’s land of scarcity, bandits terrorize their neighborhoods and hijack vessels on the open sea. In America, we call our lawless youth “gangs;” Somalians call theirs “pirates.” Both claim similar roots: poverty, family dysfunction, the failure to become educated and a lack of jobs for the unskilled.
These men are not Robin Hoods or Pirates of the Caribbean, who steal from the rich to give to the poor. At their worst, these grown-up street kids flaunt their drug money and ransoms to attract low-minded women while luring another generation of lost kids into a life of crime.
“The men who prey upon trading vessels along the Somali coast ... are not avant garde exotics. They are common thieves and thugs, no different from those who hijack cars or burgle houses or rob corner stores. It’s just their theater of operation that’s different — the deep blue sea rather than the city streets,” writes the editor of BlackAmericanWeb.
We react with rage to gangs and pirates in the United States. Even Lynchburg citizens, who remain relatively safe from shootings, encounter mindless vandalism. A nearby laundry I frequent has quit replacing broken windows, newly manicured shrubs of the neighboring grocery store have been set on fire, port-a-potties on the Blackwater Creek Trail have been turned over, the Riverfront Skate Park has been sacked from time to time, parked cars have been broken into and graffiti has been spread across unmonitored walls.
Unlike in Somalia, our police valiantly track down perpetrators, fill the jails and await yet another generation of those who choose the “road to perdition.” Unfortunately for the police and society, the faucet of failure continues to spew out new delinquents who too frequently become adult criminals. Although some who live on the dark side migrate to Central Virginia, too many are home grown.
Personal or social failure?
The public frequently seeks an easy answer. Is this crime a result of the personal failure of individuals, who lack the courage to overcome difficult odds, or is society failing such large numbers of poor kids that we cannot expect relief? For most of us, the answer is “yes” to both questions.
Many young people, even those who experiment with crime, eventually make decisions to “choose their higher selves,” in the words of Martin Luther King Jr. Adults who beat the odds challenge poor males to stay in school and work their way out of poverty. Almost all of these men talk of having a mentor, youth organization, church member or teacher who took a special interest in guiding them onto the lighted path. But for too many, the only mentors they find live in the shadows and roam the dark streets.
What to do?
School administrators are well-aware of research that shows that, by the third grade, most teachers can predict future juvenile
delinquency accurately. I imagine police officers can see into the future before then. We know the problems. Frequently, we know the youth who may become problems, if there is no intervention.
“What to do?” is a favorite refrain of Tolstoy’s in War and Peace. And, that is the refrain each generation asks. “What to do?” Lynchburg’s citizens want to help — just witness the success of the Community Dialogue on Race and Racism. Area nonprofits donate all of their time to helping those who reach out. Churches and community centers offer individual programs. Seniors are ready to become mentors.
Maybe it’s time
Just as the citizens of Central Virginia met to discuss race relations, maybe it is time for the leaders of the schools, police, service organizations, senior citizen groups and faith communities to ask the question: “If leaders met together, could we help organize volunteers and organizations in our community to make concerted, well-planned contributions to the lives of our at-risk youth?”
I don’t know the answer to this question; our leaders are busy. But Lynchburg is a special city. We care. Maybe people and organizations just need to know exactly what to do to make a difference. Is it time for our leaders to help organize community efforts?
By Ken West
Published: May 12, 2009
Source: The News & Advance (newsadvance.com)
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