Tag Archives: inner city violence

September 3, 2023 · 1:00 am

A Dumpster and the Value of Life

File:Olivia-Rae balloon release debris - 2018-08-28 - Andy Mabbett - 04.jpgBalloon release, Author Andy Mabbett (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

The body of a 12 y.o. boy was found this week in a dumpster in West Philadelphia — a destitute and poverty stricken corner of the City of Brotherly Love [1A].

The boy, Hezekiah “Hezzy” Bernard, had been shot in the head.  His body was wrapped in plastic before being discarded with the trash, at a public housing complex.  The death has been formally ruled a homicide.

“He lit up a room. He was always dancing…He was teachable, he wanted to be mentored and he was joining our new job training program.”

–Pastor Aaron Campbell of LevelUp, a Christian non-profit which serves Philadelphia’s disadvantaged youth [1B][2]

Hundreds in the community gathered for a balloon release to honor the young boy.  But he was never reported missing by family or friends, and the challenge for police will be to identify his killer.

Witness cooperation with law enforcement investigations is notoriously difficult to obtain in Philadelphia.   This stems from a combination of misplaced loyalty, police distrust, and the constant fear of retribution.

Was this boy, himself, the witness to a crime?  Was he shot to punish some family member?  Was he a victim of mistaken identity?   Was his death pay-back for some imagined slight to a stranger?  Was he simply at the wrong place, at the wrong time — collateral damage in yet another unreported shooting?

Life is cheap in what these days is politely called the “inner city”.  Children are murdered and left in dumpsters.

But this is not how God sees it.

“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor” (Prov. 21: 21).

God is the source of all life.  Through Him we can have life, now and in eternity.  That is our comfort in affliction (Ps. 119: 50).

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[1A and 1B]  Philadelphia Inquirer, “The body of a 12-year-old boy was found in a dumpster in West Philadelphia, police say” by Ellie Rushing and Chris Palmer, 8/31/23, https://www.inquirer.com/crime/hezekiah-bernard-body-found-dumpster-west-philadelphia-20230831.html.

[2]  LevelUp, https://levelupphilly.org/.

A second 12 y.o. boy, Jaylen Richards, was shot Saturday night in Baltimore, MD.   Whether he was the intended target is unknown.  He died in Shock Trauma, after unsuccessful attempts to save him.

See, https://www.wbaltv.com/article/maisel-court-shooting-baltimore/43609191#.

FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com

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February 19, 2023 · 1:00 am

“Civil Rights Leaders Care More About Planned Parenthood Than Black Families” by Delano Squires

File:Father and Child - Bus Station - Leon - Nicaragua (30818584073).jpg

Image Source https://www.flickr.com, Author Adam Jones
(CC BY-SA 2,0 Generic)

“If black lives truly mattered to civil rights organizations, they would spend more time promoting strong families and less energy pushing abortion on demand…

As a candidate and president, [Barack] Obama talked openly about marriage, family, and fatherhood…[H]e gave a speech about violent crime in Chicago 10 years ago that…included this observation:

‘There’s no more important ingredient for success, nothing that would be more important for us reducing violence, than strong, stable families — which means we should do more to promote marriage and encourage fatherhood.’

Countless black progressive politicians, pundits, professors, preachers, and performers…rejected…[Obama’s] attempts to tie family structure to social outcomes because they believe racial inequality is caused by systemic forces, not individual decisions.  The family is the one institution they show no interest in discussing.

…All references to the connection between fatherhood and social outcomes were removed in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic Party platforms.

It’s a lot easier to ignore the importance of fathers and families if you believe America would be a better place if fewer black children were born.  This is the logical conclusion to draw when abortion activists claim black women will be the primary victims of limits on abortion.”

Continue reading →

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January 3, 2021 · 1:00 am

The Little Ones

Taurus 669 handgun, Author Philippe Kurlapski (CC BY-SA 1.0 Generic)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

Sadly, it is not difficult to find stories of violence and abuse in the news.

  • Messiah Taplin, a 4 y.o. Texas boy, was allegedly shot to death by Zantyler Foster-Hooks, a partygoer celebrating the New Year with a firearm inside an apartment [1].
  • A Michigan man, Latravion McMillon, is being sought in the murder of his 6 y.o. stepson, Jaylen Worthington [2].  The boy sustained head trauma, broken ribs, and a punctured lung before being pronounced brain dead.
  • A 7 y.o. Illinois girl, Natalie Wallace, was fatally shot in a drive-by, while visiting her grandmother [3A]. A 20 month old boy and a 10 y.o. girl were among those shot to death during a single Chicago weekend [3B].
  • An Arizona woman, Michelle Boone, has been charged with assaulting her children for not wearing masks, after the children tested positive for COVID-19 [4].  The children range in age from 5 y.o. to 14 y.o.  Boone struck one child in the face, picked another up by the throat, and kicked a third.  Police believe she may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.

The little ones are always the ones at risk.  But the scars of such abuse – assuming the children survive it – can last a lifetime.

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven’ ” (Matt. 19: 14).

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[1]  ABC News, “New Year’s reveler dancing with gun allegedly shoots, kills 4-year-old Texas boy: Police” by by Bill Hutchinson, 1/1/21, https://abcnews.go.com/US/year-texas-boy-messiah-taplin-fatally-shot-years/story?id=75004512.

[2]  Law & Crime Network, “Michigan Police Looking for Man Who Allegedly Killed His 6-Year-Old Stepson” by Alberto Luperon, 1/1/21, https://lawandcrime.com/crazy/michigan-police-looking-for-man-who-allegedly-killed-his-6-year-old-stepson/.

[3A and 3B]  ABC News, “Children ages 7, 8, and 14 killed as gun violence mars holiday /weekend in Chicago andAtlanta” by Bill Hutchinson, 7/5/20, https://abcnews.go.com/US/children-ages-14-killed-gun-violence-mars-holiday/story?id=71621109.

[4]  People Magazine, “Woman Accused of Assaulting Her Kids for Not Wearing Masks After They Test Positive for COVID-19” by Chris Harris, 1/1/21, https://people.com/crime/woman-accused-assault-kids-not-wearing-masks/.

FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com

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June 14, 2020 · 1:00 am

A Voice for the Poor – The Parallels Between Poverty and Abuse

Poverty in Chicago, IL (1974), Author/Source Danny Lyon for National Archive and Records Administration (NARA Record 1709309; NAID 555950), Original Source Environmental Protection Agency (PD as work product of federal govt.)

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31: 8-9 NIV).

Poverty and abuse have much in common.

The traumatic and repetitive nature of child abuse, and the huge imbalance of power between adult and child, can leave profound psychological scars on victims – scars that may include PTSD, depression, and anxiety to name a few.

Often, victims are left with a fear of authority as adults.  The impact of poverty is surprisingly similar.

Fear of Authority

Their hopes chronically dashed and their pleas for justice routinely ignored, the poor frequently assume further effort on their part will be futile.

People who have been repeatedly downtrodden – deprived of basic necessities, cheated of their rights by abusive landlords and the host of other scam artists who prey on the poor – will forget that they have a voice, and throw in the towel (already exhausted). Continue reading →

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