Gunshots have become the norm in some communities fighting crime and poverty. There are communities where gunfire is heard throughout the day, without knowing how this type of violence may directly or indirectly affect their lives. It is difficult to live in places where gun crimes occur more regularly than celebrations and more often results in injuries and deaths of people from young children to senior citizens.
People hear gunshots and cannot distinguish the exact location or whether or not a person has been injured or killed. People shoot from cars, trucks, homes, open, and hidden locations, as well as private and public locations. Most often, innocent people lose their lives or are permanently injured. Regardless of the target person or people, and the reasons, a person die daily and lives change forever.
People cannot understand why residents of certain neighborhoods are afraid to tell the police what they know, what they have seen or what they have heard. The reality is that many people do not trust the police because of past of experiences and others know that the consequences of telling any information could lead to harm or death to them or one of their family members. It is sad but true.
It is sad that people are restrained and restricted from helping to find the people responsible for the injuries and deaths that occur. It is also sad that communities have mistrust of the police because of their personal experiences with them, knowledge of treatment of people in their communities, or varying experiences from their families. Cooperation is never far from existing, but difficult to deliver when the boundaries of trust have been broken.
People have found support with organizations like Cease Fire and Stop the Violence, whose life experiences, ties to the communities, former associations with those who may be led to commit such crimes and commit to service and stopping connect with families and communities. Families, people with knowledge of possible criminal activities that could lead to a gun crime or community leaders feel comfortable speaking with the volunteers and leaders that work in and with Cease Fire and Stop the Violence to try to reduce the number gun deaths in the community.
Organizations such as Cease Fire and Stop the Violence are names known to families and communities after gun crimes has swept through and ripped lives apart. They bring recognition and faces to the lives lost. They march, hold rallies and stand with the families during the funeral services, as children return to school and as the neighborhood seeks to continue on, without another lost life. They are human beings and not just crime a numerical crime victim with number for the year.
People do not purposely ignore the gunfire. They try to prevent from the gunfire injuring or killing them while walking on the sidewalk, sitting on the porch, sitting on the couch, laying down in the bed, driving through the neighborhood or leaving the store, located at the end of the neighborhood.
People try to continue to live their lives. The faces and names of crime victims killed from gunfire are tattooed on memorials, tombstones, arms, necks and legs and fixed on t-shirts, sweaters and banners. Lives are forever changed and the gunfire and gun deaths continue.
Unfortunately, they live in neighborhoods with gunfire that is as common as talking on the phone. Poverty and unemployment are elements that exist and their hope and mine is that one-day, we do not have to stand over the caskets of young children, teenagers, young adults, parents, and grandparents because of gunfire.
Cease fire and live.
I am glad that you brought up the issue that many people do not report crimes because many people mistrust police officers.
I think one of the main reasons to why we have crime and poverty mixed is because of the ghettos or projects. these are locations where it literally breeds crimes, gangs, anti-government sentiment, and violence.
If we decided not to build our government housing in one large area, but instead scattered these projects throughout diverse neighborhoods, perhaps people will be more inspired to pick up a book rather than a gun.
Mistrust of the police is an ongoing issue. Many people do not understand why there is a mistrust but there is enough evidence in many lives and communities to have reasons to have this mistrust.
I agree with the sentiment that government housing should be scattered and diverse. I think it fosters a different environment for families and the communities and could decrease marginalization of the specific group of people in society.
We are hoping that we can get to a place that one day books can replace guns.