Teen’s bad decision could be a costly one

Darnell Hamilton doesn’t belong in a jail cell. He was on track to be part of the 100 percent of Urban Prep Academy students accepted to college for the Class of 2014.

He has an impressive 4.0 grade-point average. According to police, Hamilton has no gang affiliations.

But when the 17-year-old Urban Prep Academy student got caught with a 9mm handgun in his school locker on Tuesday, the law and school policy didn’t leave authorities with any options.

Hamilton is now in the same pipeline that has destroyed the futures of other young men who have made poor choices.

The high school junior said after gangs threatened his life, he got a gun to protect himself.

He has now been charged with two felonies: unlawful use of weapon for carrying and possessing a firearm in school; and possession of a handgun by a person under 18.

It is tragic when any young man risks his future because of poor choices. But this is a particularly sad case. Hamilton appears to have the family support and personal intellect needed to reach his goals in life.

Yet, when push came to shove, he made the same bad decision that has tripped up so many others.

Hamilton’s plight also is an example of the struggle young black men are going through in many neighborhoods.

Although many young men have no interest in joining gangs, they are still forced to either deal with them or defend against them.

Young men who have to commute to schools outside of their neighborhoods are virtually left to fend for themselves, and these teens have to think about protecting themselves every time they walk outside of their homes.

That is what it means to live at a time when homicide is the leading cause of death for young black males.

There was a time when it was enough for a father or uncle to teach a kid how to defend himself against the neighborhood bully.

Today, the neighborhood bully is often a gang member toting a gun.

Two years ago, concerned parents complained that Urban Prep Academy students were being threatened and attacked going to and from the school.

“This is a volatile, violent area, these are like lambs surrounded by wolves and that shouldn’t be,” Denise Banks, a grandmother, told reporters at the time.

At that time, parents asked for more patrols.

After Hamilton’s arrest last week, the school’s principal released a statement promising to review campus procedures.

“The safety and well-being of students is and always will be a primary concern for Urban Prep. A review of campus rules and safety protocols was provided to all West Campus students and employees to reiterate the seriousness of this type of situation,” Urban Prep Principal Ron Bryant said in a written statement.

“We are aware that some of our students face safety challenges as they travel to and from school and in their communities,” he added.

“We are committed to working closely with students, parents, faculty, the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Public Schools and the community to address this challenge.”

Frankly, we have failed to protect so many of the city’s children; we really can’t blame young men like Hamilton for believing he has to protect himself.

If the teen is being truthful about why he had a gun, then it’s our shame. He should have had someplace to turn for help other than to a friend who could get a firearm.

Hopefully, for his parents’ sake, Hamilton’s story will hold up. There is a lot at stake.

While it takes only a moment to make a bad decision, it takes thousands of dollars to fix the mistake.

Hamilton’s bail was set at $75,000. His parents also will have to hire a lawyer if they hope to keep felony charges off of his record.

Meanwhile, gun-rights activists will point to this case as a blatant injustice and argue that Hamilton is being denied the right to protect himself.

But Hamilton’s plight reflects the troubling reality that too many young black men live with every day. They are darned if they do. They are darned if they don’t.