PRENTISS SMITH
The black-on-black killing by young black men in Shreveport is out of control. A lot of people are prone to make excuses for the urban violence of these young black men. There are those who would like to attribute the violent behavior of these young black men to systemic racism. Systemic racism is real, but that’s not what is making young black men kill each other, seemingly with no impunity. Systemic racism does not make a person pull out a gun and kill someone because somebody looked at them wrong. Systemic racism does not make a person pull out a gun and kill someone because they have on the wrong colors. Systemic racism does not make a person pull out a gun and shoot into a house or a car without any thought of whom that bullet is going to injure or kill. There are no excuses for the violence seen in Shreveport on daily basis, nor should there be. Killing is killing, and it is destroying the fabric of the city.
This week has been especially violent in Shreveport, with six people dead and eight people injured, all of them young black men. It is like Dodge City on steroids. It is imperative that city leaders get on top of what is happening in these communities, because it affects the quality of life in Shreveport and the city’s ability to attract the kind of economic development that is needed to move the city forward. It is a crisis which calls for thoughtful and sober leadership.
The truth is that the city of Shreveport has one of the highest murder rates per capita in the country. That means that Shreveport is more deadly than Memphis, St. Louis and Atlanta, Ga. The killing of each other by young black men in Shreveport is out of control. They have no value system that allows them to react to conflict differently than they do.
The number one reason for the black-on-black killing seen in Shreveport and other urban areas around the country is the breakdown of the black family structure. Everyone knows that, and the question is what can be done to change that dynamic? There are no easy answers, but something has to be done to stop the black-on-black killing that is out of control in Shreveport.
In so many cases, there are no fathers in the homes, no discipline and no accountability. Young men are being raised by their young mothers, who have no control over them. These young men need real men in their lives to steer them back on the road when they are headed for the ditch. So many of them end up in that ditch, and that is a problem.
Pulling these young black men out of the morass of violence is going to be a herculean task, but it has to be done. Cities and municipalities are going to have to make the kind of investments in these neighborhoods that can make a difference. One of the most effective things that can be done is to convince these young men to get a high school diploma, either by staying in school or by a GED. Studies have shown that a high school education makes a tremendous difference in curbing criminal behavior. Learning a skill is also something that has been found to make a big difference in the lives of young men. Having a skill gives them the hope of finding meaningful employment, which changes the paradigm. And that’s the way I see it. smithpren@aol.com
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE March 19 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR.