Our culture of violence needs to cease

Two things of prominence are on my mind today, this Hump Day.

1. This situation that occurred in Chicago, with the unfortunate fatal beating of a high school honor student just days ago. It is something I'm wrestling with as I grew up in Chicago and know the area in which the incident took place. As Chicago brass (even the White House) prepare to sell the city on the 2016 Summer Olympic Games later in the week, it is critical that the violence (that has been spinning and spiraling out of control there for months and months) must end, and soon. This goes beyond "Black-on-Black crime," this is beyond anything that is logical. We're talking about an out-of-control culture of violence.

Noted Chicago Tribune syndicated columnist Clarence Page has a great column on this today...Page says that there is a connection between the "impact of poverty and the disconnection from hope."

Page:

For example, those who are moved by video to judge Chicago's liveability are no more ridiculous than Rush Limbaugh's recent rant after Matt Drudge's Drudge Report Web site posted another video of youth violence: a school bus security camera in downstate Illinois captured a black kid pounding on a white kid in the next seat.

Police reported, but then discounted the possibility, that the incident was a hate crime. But Limbaugh was not deterred by a mere lack of evidence. "Greetings, my friends. It's Obama's America, is it not?" he bellowed. "Obama's America -- white kids getting beat up on school buses now. I mean, you put your kids on a school bus, you expect safety, but in Obama's America, the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering, 'Yeah, right on, right on, right on!' "

Note to Rush: Most black youths have not exclaimed "right on" since the days when you and I were young.

The truth is that race has little to do with youth violence compared to the impact of poverty and the disconnection from hope.

2. This gets into my second point...addressing the culture of violence is something our colleges and universities should be attempting to address. But for one prominent institution in Greensboro, NC, the messenger is raising eyebrows.

At issue is an invited performer to the upcoming homecoming for North Carolina A&T State University. The school's alumni is prestigious, and its homecoming draws visitors from around the country. For Greensboro, which is experiencing unprecedented negative effects from the current recession, the expected windfall from money spent in town for this event every year is incredible.

The performer is rap artist Gucci Mane, who apparently raps about drug dealing, violence, and reported ties to the Bloods street gang.

Mr. Mane will be performing his songs at the annual homecoming day concert. Mr. Mane was booked by student homecoming representatives a while back. Now his message (and the messenger himself) are causing controversy to the school, its students and the city itself. Student leaders say it is too late to tear up the contract for Mr. Mane.

Coverage from the local paper, the Greensboro News & Record found here. Independent blog coverage from Piedmont Publius found here.

I'm not sure what's more wacky, the eyebrow-raising comments following the News & Record article, or the fact that some think it is okay for him to perform. With Greensboro's rate of crime under intense scrutiny in a local municipal election season that's currently underway, once one would expect other names or other performers to surface that would be more positive and uplifting to the students, the alumni and the community at large.

This constant culture of violence is one that I have a massive problem with. And if we're ever going to address it head-on in our schools, it starts at home and talking to our children and preaching education, education, education! Forget the 3Rs for a minute..we need to preach "E...or J"...education or jail. Who's with me?

E.C. :)