Teen Shot Dead

Sad sad sad.....
I remember a few years (2006 or 07) back I attended a round table at the PD.. minister, community leaders, harp and walker and other political types...all where there. I asked Ortiz and John, what are you going to do to get the guns from the kids in my area and many other areas ( a question community members asked me to ask)... Oritz laughed at me...said I watched to much TV the kids in this city do not have guns...john, harp and walker all laughed as well when I defended my comment and they ignored me and my outrage at that response!
Well they could of stopped alot of this if they had nipped in the freaken bud instead of laughing it off!!! I just get so pissed off when I see another kid with a gun!!! yeah guess my TV is 3d!

After 18 years we are #4 in violent crime in the Nation.
I don't want to see where we are after 20 years.

LET'S VOTE HIM OUT!

I believe that violence occurs in the mind, first and foremost. I believe that if I, and You, the reader, were to pay special attention to our thoughts each day, we'd realize that we too have violent thoughts. If, perhaps, We were to enter into some kind of self-induced therapy where we monitor our violent/hateful thinking, perhaps that "mini-victory" would be reflected in the Whole. Many of history's greatest teachers have made this kind of point... that the Universe is a creation in the Mind of the All, and that if we THINK a "sin", it means it has already been committed. It would be easy for you and me to think to ourselves "YEAH, but we don't go out and actually acquire a gun and shoot our neighbor like THOSE people", but at the same time, I argue that deep down, we are all responsible. We participate in this system. We have not been good stewards of the creation, and the creation is made of our thoughts. The universe is mental. Needless to say I was very depressed when I heard that there had been another shooting, and I pray deeply that we can find a way to proceed in a creative and gracious way.

Washington probably did need more individualized attention, but from his parents - not the school. We have to empower the parents and other grownups in the city by ensuring that they can easily access employment for this skill level that allows them to provide for their family, and be home at reasonable hours to make sure the kids are doing homework, getting enough sleep, eating breakfast and going to school prepared. That can't happen if there are no low-skill jobs in our neighborhoods other than spiritually-degrading jobs at McDonald's and Burger King. Good parenting also is difficult if you have to take 3 buses to a suburban job everyday that makes you leave early in the morning and get home late at night because there are no similar, but urban-located jobs.

Blame the mayor,
Since 1990, the violent crime rate has dropped by 33%, overall crime has dropped by 60%. The #4 national ranking is inaccurate.
http://www.ctdatahaven.org/blog/2011/06/public_safety_new_haven/

Trismegistus,
That makes no sense at all.

Trismegitus:
I agree with a lot of what you said--we often participate in the glorifying of violence (in music, tv, and film).

I agree with Kermit--another senseless death. I think it is extremely sad that anyone would take someone else's life--for what? What does it ever solve? Who does it help?

I really hope we can resolve the violence plaguing our city.

very depressing to read about young people dying this way. i am a father, and consider it my responsibility that my children will not carry guns. I ask others to do the same.

As an Elm City resident, it amazes me that people continue to look for blame. Sure the police department has been mismanaged for over twenty years. One bad chief after another. But reality is simply this this kids are given every opportunity to better themselves. They choose not to. They have no family structure to show them how to act as a decent civil human. ... ...

it is so sad, he was still only a child... i am a mom of 2 and scared for my children's life. all you have to do is give a wrong look and you get shot now. why cant parents teach their children love and compassion like i do my own?

Nothing fails like a prayer. So how about these ideas?

@ Refuge & Sacred Mom: Agreed 100%.

This is the sole responsibility of the parents, not the lack of opportunity, city politics, etc. I grew up in a poor family w/ nothing more than the basic needs BUT my parents taught my sister and I love, compassion, responsibility and morals. I took care of the rest. Others need to do the same... w/o excuses.

Where are the JOBS. I just hate it that our Youth have NO JOBS and nothing to do except this kind of crap. How many of our young adults could have had a decent life if they had gotten to some work from the $ 1 billion School Construction program. No money ... no hope.

What is the homicide count for the year at now?

Folks, I hate to see people arguing or advancing social theories on these types of stories--remember, the families & friends of the victims read these. I don't know that they need to read a lot of the type of comments that get posted.

At the end of the day, another of our city residents lost his life in a senseless tragedy.

Ultimately the killer is the one who did this & committed this vile act, and deserves sole personal blame.

There is a lot that ALL OF US can do--as a society, as a city, as a community--to help prevent these types of deaths, and I think there is great need for open community participation in ending the cycle of violence that grips our city. I don't think however that the best way of accomplishing this is criticizing and attacking other commentators, though.

I think experiences like CHR are important to share, and am glad she shared that--I'm not criticizing her point of view at all. I just don't like to see the infighting between commentators on a subject like this, when I think about the fact that ALL OF US are against this type of violence. Why snipe and criticize each other? when we should all be trying to work together to discover a solution to the problem.

There are no jobs because of the simple fact that all of the choices our public officials make are designed to make the rich even richer.

For example, we spend billions of dollars building new highway bridges over New Haven Harbor, even though:

• Currently, approximately 80% of jobs within the New Haven area are not accessible unless you have a car. Yet most people can not drive or afford cars. Expanding highways makes this problem even worse, and increases the gap between the elites and everyone else.
  
  
• Spending on mass transit would create more jobs.
  
  
• Spending on pedestrian infrastructure would create many more jobs per dollar spent.
  
  
• The money going to the huge bridge projects primarily ends up in the coffers of large corporations, 90% of which are owned by the top few percentage of the population. So our choices make the rich get richer.
  
  
• Of jobs created by huge bridge projects, most go to older, white people living in distant suburbs or even in other states. The USDOT recently admitted that only about 2% of the stimulus funded projects went to minority contractors.
  
  As another example, we choose to pay much of our union leadership huge, six-figure salaries, pensions and bonuses. By doing this, we:
  
  
• Tax the poor and low income residents in our cities, in order to export most of their money to the suburbs.
  
  
• Reduce job creation in areas that need it, because money gets sucked out to elite gated communities such as Westbrook, CT.
  
  
• Further the gap between older white people and young minorities, who receive a tiny share of the jobs created in this sector.
  
  
• Subsidize the suburbs, since most union leaders use their six-figure public salaries in order to purchase larger homes, better-kept lawns, more in-ground pools, more elaborate private security systems, and additional SUVs for their teenage children.
  
  
• Undermine the quality of public education and force public schools to cut jobs, as the huge salaries we pay to elite union officials, just get plowed into private school tuition.
  
  Things work differently elsewhere.
  
  Until we replace our public officials with people who have a long term vision of shared prosperity for all people, there will be fewer and fewer jobs available, and more and more violence.

anon,

You think Gov Malloy decided to give the unions a four year no-job-loss guarantee to make the rich richer? You think he is the same as other Governors?

Don't you think that we spend billions of dollars building new highway bridges over New Haven Harbor not because we want to give "older white people" jobs but because there are actually thousands of vehicles using it every day?

"80% of jobs within the New Haven area are not accessible unless you have a car while most people can not drive or afford cars." Then why do we have 9.4% unemployment and no job openings if no one can get to where the jobs are?

"90% ownership" by just a few? The largest investors in the country are public employee pension funds.

When you say that "of jobs created...most go to older, white people living in distant suburbs or even in other states", are you questioning whether these "older white people" are qualified to build bridges? Or maybe you're saying that the government should award public contracts based on race.

How do "we" tax the poor and low income residents in our cities through union dues? If people don't like paying union dues (I wouldn't either) then simply don't pay them. Or get another job. But its not the same as taxing anybody.

why are all these persons being shot and killed
and the ones doing the shootings, good kids just staring to etc, etc. what is the criteria for a good kid in these areas.

I worked with this young man's mother for years, at the time he was born. My daughter was born a few months later. As we worked at our stupid jobs, we talked about our babies and toddler tv shows and day care and schools. All the stuff young parents talk about...

Its hard to imagine that he was born, lived, and died already. Murdered with such intent. That ever came up in any of conversations. This wasn't part of the plan.

Streever is right. We could all do more to help our community. I think the real shortage is HOPE. Some people are born poor, but not all people are born without access to HOPE. So often, these are not the acts of inherently evil people, they are the acts of those who feel there is no hope. Many children in New Haven are being born into a war zone which is fueled by the drug trade, which is fueled by the lack of access to institutionalized means. They are indoctrinated from a young age to believe that this is their only option in life. To say that these kids are given every opportunity and choose this life implies that there is something inherently wrong with the black community. This just is not true.

I understand many of the views and respect your opinions also as individuals. How bout somebody you is actually in the streets speak for a sec? Many of the crimes are senseless and can be avoided but will they no because first of all we live in a society that views us as hostiles and in new haven there is only so much to do. Yeah we can all say go read a book and learn but I am very well read and educated but I also understand how to survive in a world where stereotypes are becoming reality. I have had jobs and pursued business and the resources that are said to be available are not so if selling drugs to get that 20,000 to start a business is easier than going to Chase well pick a corner cause im there. Second many of the successful black people who are the resources dont even lend a hand to young minors because they dont want a possible affiliation with a hood kid. Yet they grew up and did some of the same things i speak of. No im not happy and this is not a boast but it is the truth and while your waiting for change im gonna do what i have to so that i can make it BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!!!

Parents need to do their jobs in rearing their children by any means necessary!As long as it is honorable and respectful! The school system can't rear the kids for New Haven parents. My heart goes out to both families! The young man
who was going to school down south should have stayed rather than returning back here. The seventeen year old was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time. We need a curfew established for our youth and fine the parents if it is not followed! I'm sick of these ministers and politicians meeting and marching and not doing anything but talking! Start a you group and mentor the youth socially and academically! Harp, Walker, all of them are the same a bunch of middle class people that could care less about the real problems of urban youth. They have all been in office doing nothing but going to eating meetings picking up the same old awards that go in a circle! Even our people in Congress do the same thing you only see her Rosa at a ribbon cutting ceremony.
I do not understand why Johnny Boy Mayor of New Haven can't have a round table and come up with a summer plan to be implemented now.

@Taxpayer... "Parents need to do their jobs in rearing their children by any means necessary!" That IS what is happening, from having to work multiple jobs and not see their children enough, to languishing in the despair and crippling effects of poverty,marginalization and racism. These are the effects of which you are witnessing.

Most people, including the parents of these children, are born into poverty, which is strongly correlated with higher levels of violence. It is extremely difficult for anyone to jump from one socioeconomic bracket to another in the course of their lifetime. Otherwise, wouldn't everyone who was middle class just "become" rich? There really is something more to it than the assumption that people are lazy or don't care. Many people are without hope. (Many families in New Haven do not have enough to eat.) They are in despair and are suffering for the loss of the children, our children. Please try to understand that people would change this if they could or knew how or had hope that they could get out of this. The truth is though, that most people know it, the chances of escape from poverty are terribly slim. Drugs, violence, prostitution these are all symptoms of hopelessness, depression and despair. I think that in a sense, when our children resort to such extremes, they have actually just given up.