By Lewis E. Reed
I read an article today that really troubled me. I am, of course, aware of the crime problems and perception of crime in St. Louis. I have worked hard and will continue to work to try and improve our city, but this article made it clear, we all have a long way to go. Greg Jonsson with Post-Dispatch wrote the article “Missouri is top-ranked for black killing rate.” In this article, Mr. Jonsson states,
“Violence Policy Center's review of 2005 statistics, the latest available for the study, show Missouri with a homicide rate for blacks that is nearly twice that for blacks nationwide. The vast majority of those deaths, in Missouri and nationally, were from gun violence, and most of the victims were black males.”
“Nationally, the study found that homicide is the leading single cause of death for blacks ages 15-34.”
These quotes are truly troubling and indicate a serious problem that is not being addressed thoroughly or effectively. The deaths of these young African American people have stripped our community of future doctors, lawyers, leaders, mothers and fathers. Every life that is lost is one person that never had the opportunity to contribute to society and improve our world. We must, together, work to educate our children and help the police to protect our communities.