Ending Gun Violence in Chicago
a commentary on a Yahoo article by Holly Bailey about Spencer Leak
- The answer to solving most gun violence in places like Chicago is in an article about Spencer Leak.
- Spencer Leak's father raised him.
- The value of a father raising his son can not be overemphasized.
- Notice Spencer credits his father having “taught him everything”. My theory is, Spencer could have been part of the problem in Chicago. Thankfully for Chicago, Spencer's life is a much-needed lighthouse in a sea of darkness and destruction. Why? How? Simple. Spencer's father thought enough of him to raise him.
- I am convinced most of the gun violence in Chicago would disappear by simply putting dad back in the home. Radical thinking, I know.
- I'd be willing to bet the vast majority of those involved in shooting deaths in Chicago, on both sides of the gun, have not been raised by their fathers.
- No, single mothers often can not raise a child, particularly a son, as well as a two-parent household, particularly in areas where poverty and gangs intersect. The reality is, when a boy reaches a certain age, he won't take instruction and discipline from mom they way he would from dad. Through no fault of their own, moms simply lose control. I am not suggesting single mothers/fathers can not successfully raise a son/daughter. I am suggesting that in places like Chicago, it is an uphill climb with two parents. Taking dad out of the picture compounds the likelihood of a boy turning to readily available gangs and the violence that goes with them.
- Boys join gangs to fill the void left by missing fathers. Gangs offer a sense of belonging and protection they lack and rightfully feel they deserve.
- For too long, black communities have bought the idea that dads are not needed in the home. All that is needed is the money they would have provided (Hello, government subsidy). I have singled out "black communities" in this comment beacuse, in places like Chicago, over 70% of children are raised in single-parent homes (mostly without fathers). This level of fatherlessness is nothing short of racial suicide. Anyone not seeing the toll that is being paid for this social shift is completely blind.
- Boys (and Girls) don't need "baby daddies" -- they need fathers.
- Spencer Leak's father provided him a moral code by which to live via his Christian faith.
For too long we have been taught:
- there is no objective morality
- morality is relative
- if it feels good, do it
- and here we are
- I am convinced, we would be better off accepting the premise we are *"created equal ... endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights." Whether we believe there is a Creator or not is an individual matter. However, regardess of our personal belief, we can choose to live one of two ways.
- There is no Creator, and ultimately nothing matters.
- There is a Creator to whom we will some day give account, and therefore, ultimately, everything matters.
- Spencer Leak decided to stay in Chicago and be an example to his community.
A lesser man (I) would have left years ago.
- For a politcial angle to the violence in Chicago, click here
