I am going to open up and let you in on what happened in my family this past weekend, and tell you what this post is really about.
Gangs.
Yup, we have them in my city and they are out-of-control.
Sad thing is, they are all underage kids.
Check out this article. (This is a screenshot. So you may need to click on it for a better view.)
Sadly, the person who was stabbed is my nephew.
Here 's the kicker, he was out that late, walking a female friend home who was being harassed by a strange fellow. My nephew and his friend went to meet her and take her home. On his way back to his house, a large group of kids swarmed his friend and began beating him. He was the smaller of the two and was targeted for his size. Obviously my nephew wasn't going to stand and watch it happen, so he jumped in and started swinging to get the others off his friend.
From the start they were outnumbered 20-30 to 2. The gang also had two guns, a bat, and one had a knife.
Thankfully the guns were not used except to flash and scare. The bat fractured his eye and he had to consult with a surgeon to see if it needed reconstruction. Thankfully it does not. The knife was used to stab my nephew 4 times in the back. The kid who stabbed him punctured his lung and collapsed it. It took 2 full days of draining the blood from his lung to inflate again and he was released from the hospital.
I tell you this because one, if you live in my city you need to beware. Two, if you live in my city, maybe you heard someone bragging and can help via information.... (They were blatant enough to post a victory photo on Facebook, 10 minutes after it all happened.) Or three, it will make you think twice about your own teenager and what they do with their time. (What were those kids doing out at 2 am anyways?!)
Seriously what is the world coming to that we have all these teens with no conscience?? What are the parents doing to raise teens that can stab someone and not care they may have killed them, and think it's cool enough to brag about on a social network afterwards??? Can't blame just the teens in my opinion. They are a product of where they come from. I blame the parents of these teens as well. You live what you learn!
I don't know what the moral of this story is but am sure you all can see where I am coming from. Those who can't... need help.
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| Alphabe Thursday |
They are out of control in Chicago too and are creeping into the suburbs where I live. It starts with the parents ... but they were probably raised the same way. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry your nephew was stabbed. Very scary!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the answer is to how to stop this sort of behavior. But I do think kids need some sort of purpose to their lives, which I fear many kids do not.
We Sem to have them too and there is not mich to do about it. The politie does try tho .
ReplyDeleteThank goodness the injuries to your nephew and his friend were not life threatening. Gangs are a real problem -- I'm thankful that we don't have much gang activity where I live and there is an enforced curfew for those 18 and under. The larger nearby cities have more of a problem, but thankfully they have curfews also. But, we still hear of gang violence on the news. And yes, it definitely starts with the parents and the life at home. I hope all goes well with your nephew.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah!
DeleteOh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear this happened to your nephew. Aside from the injuries I suspect it was quite traumatic for it to happen in your hometown ...
ReplyDeleteIt is, and the worst thing is, it gets worse every year. Somehow we need to stop the violence among our young people.
DeleteI am so sorry about your nephew! Gangsterism is rampant here too.
ReplyDeleteI am with you - we really need to stop the violence among our young people. Wish I had a solution to this.
I don't know where you live, but I am so sorry you have to contend with that kind of violence. And I will keep your nephew in my prayers. It's a blessing that he is doing as well as he is after such an attack.
ReplyDelete"/
Thank you Sue.
DeleteWow! I hope he heals all right..
ReplyDeleteWhat an awful thing to have happen...
Sadly, I think that could happen in just about any city. A few times we visited the juvenile detention center on Christmas day as part of a program called You're The Gift. The idea was to bring a token gift and then spend time with the kids on Christmas day. A lady that worked there told me there was a 90+% return rate because when released the kids went right back to the same neighborhoods. Most came from single parent homes and had no male role models in their lives. Gangs are common in their neighborhoods and they join to belong.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your nephew will be alright. Your story could have had a very different ending.
That is a beautiful thing you have done for the young folks during one of the hardest times of the year.
DeleteThanks for your thoughts, I definitely count my blessings each night. :-)
I'm sorry to read about your nephew. Gangs are really terrifying. It's that pack mentality that really scares me.
ReplyDeleteFreda, the truth in your writing really makes me shiver. I wonder about today's youth and their lack of morals and conscience.
Sending prayers for healing and for hope and answers for the families all over suffering as a result of this senseless violence.
Thank you for linking.
A++++