All summer long, no matter what neighborhood you live in, you heard police sirens racing to a crime scene. Organizations canceled events. The mayor said he can’t wait until his term is over with all of this gun violence. Children can’t walk to the corner store, people can’t ride in their cars, people can’t unpack their groceries because of the fear shots will be fired.
This has to come to an end before we lose a whole generation that has never lived.
Unfortunately, today’s climate in Philadelphia has taken a drastic change this year. The crimes have become more outrageous by the day. As a mother of a murder victim, I see a generation killing themselves off before they even have a chance to live his/ her life. I see children trying to fit in and trying to be a part of something that’s wrong.
As parents we all have an obligation to raise our children to be contributing, valuable members of society. We dream of our children to hit each milestone such as walking, talking, graduating from nursery school, kindergarten, elementary, going to high school, turning 16, going on Prom, graduating from high school, college, working, starting a family etc. With today’s violence, e’ll be lucky any of our children reach any of these milestones. I have met many parents who had to pick up their children’s high school diplomas and cried their hearts out. Some of these murders have nothing to do with some people being murdered, these children may just know people and stopped to say hello, which leads to a conversation and the next thing you know they are caught in crossfire and the family receives a call saying their beloved child was injured in a shootout and he/she has been taken to the nearest hospital, later the child expires.
As parents we have to take control back over our children no matter how young or old they are. If your child begins to change the people they hang around and you’re not feeling them, get on your child. If they begin to hang outside all day and night it’s alright to get on them. If your child’s actions are off, get on them. I would rather control my children now than to have to fight for them in front of a judge and jury. A lot of times we have to save our children from themselves because they think but don’t know what’s good for them.
Our children use to be safe in our neighborhoods because everyone looked out for one another and their children. The OG’s would talk to our youth and tell them not to be like them. They would encourage them to stay in school and get their education. They would ask them about their dreams and future plans. Now the conversations are about drugs, guns, and who they need to slide on. This is where the break down and disrespect comes in at. An OG should be schooling them to do better than them and getting out of the game. A lot of respect has been lost in these transitions and therefore the youth are running the neighborhoods.
As of today Philadelphia has reached 388 murders, and we have three months left in the year. How many more parents will have to bury their children? How many more families have to endure the emotional rollercoaster of having another Unsolved Murdered Child?
People we have to do better and save ourselves right now!!!! Now how are you really doing?
Please watch my documentary on Youtube, Never Ending Emotions for more insight of how families are dealing with the pain and grief after a loved one has been murdered.
Kimberly Kamara is the author of “Where’s My Daddy,” a children’s book aimed at kids who’ve lost a parent to murder. The book was inspired by her family’s continuing journey of grief after her son, Niam Johnson-Tate, lost his life to gun violence on July 5, 2017. Kimberly has two daughters and lives in Germantown with her husband.
