Inner City Youth Crime (Pittsburgh, Millvale: low income, renting, crime rates)

[jazzwoman]

Time to stop Inner City Youth Crime...black on black youth killing each other...I can't stop it alone...I'll calling all Mother. Grandmother and Father...ect Everybody Please help save our Youth...

[bradjl2009]

I hope this doesn't come off as bad, but why is there such a difference in crime rates and the seriousness it seems of crimes between white and black youth when parenting (usually single mother) and a low income are the same? You don't hear the things that happen in the Hill, and Homewood happen in places such as Millvale and Sharpsburg.

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

There are a lot more factors than "how many parents and how much money they make"

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by jazzwoman

Time to stop Inner City Youth Crime...black on black youth killing each other...I can't stop it alone...I'll calling all Mother. Grandmother and Father...ect Everybody Please help save our Youth...

I wish there was an easy solution. It's super complex. From what I'm told, the solution has to start within the communities.

The inner city black youth are not going to appreciate my blonde hair, green eyed self walking in there to "save" them.

Tell me what to do! I really want to know. I'd help. I truly would.

[gg]

So you grow up in the ghetto, no one has any money, some 20 something drives up in an Escalade wearing gold and has a wad of cash. You are 14 years old and broke all the time and can't buy those Tim's you wanted. Hey man, you want to make some easy money? Then the ball rolls. There will ALWAYS be someone to do that job and there will always be shootings because you need to collect money and the turf wars. The only way to slow it down is from the top, not the bottom. You need to slow down the mules and the big dealers. It has never been done because the amount of money involved. The Mexican drug dealers run the entire country. They build tunnels and spare no expense. Our government is too busy rebuilding other countries, instead of taking care of business at home. I think the borders should have military presence more and go after this drug trade, but it has never worked, so maybe it is impossible.

No way are you going to have EVERY parent being a good one. There are bad parents in every neighborhood. Good parents can have a drug dealer son. Just the way it is.

[wpipkins]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

So you grow up in the ghetto, no one has any money, some 20 something drives up in an Escalade wearing gold and has a wad of cash. You are 14 years old and broke all the time and can't buy those Tim's you wanted. Hey man, you want to make some easy money? Then the ball rolls. There will ALWAYS be someone to do that job and there will always be shootings because you need to collect money and the turf wars. The only way to slow it down is from the top, not the bottom. You need to slow down the mules and the big dealers. It has never been done because the amount of money involved. The Mexican drug dealers run the entire country. They build tunnels and spare no expense. Our government is too busy rebuilding other countries, instead of taking care of business at home. I think the borders should have military presence more and go after this drug trade, but it has never worked, so maybe it is impossible.

No way are you going to have EVERY parent being a good one. There are bad parents in every neighborhood. Good parents can have a drug dealer son. Just the way it is.

I have to totally agree with this one!

[Aqua Teen Carl]

I sound like an old man as a type this but, maybe if our government would do a mass overhaul on our decaying infrastructure to provide jobs and healthcare perhaps dudes of all races wouldn't have to rob/steal/slang to make ends meet.

[wpipkins]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I wish there was an easy solution. It's super complex. From what I'm told, the solution has to start within the communities.

The inner city black youth are not going to appreciate my blonde hair, green eyed self walking in there to "save" them.

Tell me what to do! I really want to know. I'd help. I truly would.

I am a volunteer for the Pittsburgh Promise. We have an outreach program for black male seniors. Black male students benefit least from the promise although they make up the majority of the male students in the PPS. Over the past 3 years Schenly alone has sent 60 young black males to college campuses. Of the 60 students, 57 still remain in college. These students most likely would have not attended college otherwise.

We had one middle aged white woman from Edgewood who wanted to help. She questioned if she would be taken seriously by a group of inner city black males. I explained to her that if a young black male makes to his senior year, he cannot be all that bad. In my experience, most bad kids never make it past the 9th or 10th grade. Once she started vounteering, she was pleasantly surprised that she was accepted and appreciated by the students.

All children want to succeed. Some children need additional help and resources in order to see the light.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

I sound like an old man as a type this but, maybe if our government would do a mass overhaul on our decaying infrastructure to provide jobs and healthcare perhaps dudes of all races wouldn't have to rob/steal/slang to make ends meet.

There are a ton of $10 an hour jobs everywhere, but it takes a while to save up for those Tims, instead you can make a hundred in a few hours on the street, go to the mall that night and buy them.

Believe me, there are plenty of companies hiring around here. You do have to get out there and go after them.

[gg]

Originally Posted by wpipkins

I am a volunteer for the Pittsburgh Promise. We have an outreach program for black male seniors. Black male students benefit least from the promise although they make up the majority of the male students in the PPS. Over the past 3 years Schenly alone has sent 60 young black males to college campuses. Of the 60 students, 57 still remain in college. These students most likely would have not attended college otherwise.

We had one middle aged white woman from Edgewood who wanted to help. She questioned if she would be taken seriously by a group of inner city black males. I explained to her that if a young black male makes to his senior year, he cannot be all that bad. In my experience, most bad kids never make it past the 9th or 10th grade. Once she started vounteering, she was pleasantly surprised that she was accepted and appreciated by the students.

All children want to succeed. Some children need additional help and resources in order to see the light.

Thank you for what you are doing!

I agree, all children want to succeed. They just need to know they actually can and that power comes from an adult telling them, it CAN be done. A well educated black man, might even become president some day.