What you told us about black-on-black violence

We encouraged readers to offer their opinions after they read last Sunday’s roundtable discussion on black-on-black violence and possible solutions. Here is some of the feedback we received.

What was the ‘turning point?’

... I’ve found that problem solving requires one to look at the causes in a deliberate way, gather facts, and pinpoint change factors that drive the new and undesirable behavior.

And in that vein, I see no semblance of effort to look at what changed culturally when it comes to the “senseless violence” you’ve given the community to explore. … Yet it is very clear to me that the statistical reality of high crime, high incarceration and high drug use … not to mention the same problems I had to deal with — of fatherless families — didn’t always exist during my relatively brief time in the United States.

There is a turning point and I challenge you to look at the statistics, before and after, to pin down that turning point. That is the start of problem solving. …

KLAUS SEAQUIST

‘People need to get guts, come forward’

I don’t know what is wrong with our race. This black-on-black crime is out of hand. I feel the churches and community are not doing anything. We need to take back our neighborhood and stop this crime.

We can get outraged when a white person or other race kills one of us, but turn our heads and say nothing about blackon-black crime. It’s so sad. I lost a son in 1997 and no one has come forward. I know someone knows something. People need to get some guts and come forward.

I get so sick and tired of looking at the news because nine times out of 10, it will tell about a shooting that happened last night. Just what can we do? Is it that they don’t have love, the father is not there, or are they just mean and evil?

I believe they don’t care about dying. Someone said that all evil needs to prevail is for good people to say nothing. That is so true because we are saying and doing nothing. …

CLAUDIA MAXWELL

‘Not limited to the black community’

Please remember that the belief that violence is a way to solve problems, get respect or deal with fear is not limited to the black community. Think of all the wars, the incarcerations, the domestic violence, the obsession with “your constitutional right to own guns,” violence by police, violence in entertainment, and the forced continuation of poverty, which Gandhi and MLK said is the worst form of violence.

The black community needs to do their part, but the rest of us must help and not hurt their efforts. STANLEY HIRTLE

‘Rampant in white community also’

I agree with many of Mr. (Darnell) Carter’s points — for example, “But I think there is a devaluation of black human life that we contribute to ourselves.” This seems to be very true of many black and white folks today. This is not just a black issue. This is rampant in the white community also. People just don’t give a darn about themselves, their possessions, their kids, their neighbors, etc. Something has happened to pride, self-esteem, accountability. Where did it go?

Mr. (Chris) Smitherman also has some very valid points: “We have it within us to solve this problem ourselves.” That is very true and the black and white communities should endorse this concept. Bring back the pride in working, caring about the fellow human being, pride in how we dress and present ourselves.

Race has nothing to do with the senseless actions that our young blacks and whites are taking upon themselves. It is all attitude, self-perception, selfesteem. …

GREG CAMPBELL

The key is ‘strong, dedicated’ parenting

I found the edified dialogue from the roundtable discussion to be quite interesting. (Chris) Smitherman comes the closest to my views when he says that part of the problem is African-American men not stepping up and taking care of their children and not being engaged with their sons.

I sincerely believe much of the problem gets back to out-of-wedlock births, separation and divorce, single-parenting and irresponsible parenting. This is what mostly leads to school dropouts, drug and alcohol abuse, illiteracy, poverty, low graduation rates, lack of self-respect, lack of respect for authority, lack of self-discipline, lack of respect for life, failure to accept responsibility for one’s actions and decisions, failure to be accountable, poor financial management skills, lack of motivation and lack of determination. Having or being given adequate financial resources obviously has an impact in the short term, but that will not reverse the undesirable trends. Strong, dedicated, responsible and successful parenting will. JOE BRAFFORD

‘Black community has to save itself’

Finally a discussion about black-on-black crime in our country and our community. We’ve grown accustomed to thinking incarceration, murder, dysfunction and absent fathers as normal. We have so many opportunities in this country, and we throw them away. We cannot continue to blame the white man; it’s an old and tired excuse. Too many of us know more about hustling and getting onto entitlement programs than we do about learning a trade, or going to college or the military.

I do believe that what goes on at home makes a big difference in who we are and what we become.

The black community has to save itself. We have the strength and power to do it, but will we look in the mirror long enough to admit something is really broken in us and it needs to be fixed?

FRANCES MARCANO