When Lives Matter, Black And Otherwise, When Men Fail To Raise Their Own Children

In the early 1990's, when crack cocaine was spreading wildly across the United States, homicide rates were high in Chicago, higher than they are now, as gangs fought and killed each other to control territory and the lucrative drug trade. Few voices were raised in protest as innocent lives were lost from gang violence and out of control violent youth. Decades later, gangs are entrenched, and out of control, violent youth are as eager as ever to kill and harm. Innocent lives will continue to be lost. There is now, as there has been for decades, the same muted response. Perhaps because there is no perceived political or other objective to be gained. Perhaps because the media responds not only to what they can sensationalize, but also only to that which fits into their political correctness mindset. Violent youth, especially if they are nonwhite, will continue to be largely ignored, and will continue to kill and harm. There is a failure on many levels to address the plight of black and minority communities, including the failure of schools, the failure of institutions to invest, the failure of politicians, racism, but none of this excuses the failure of far too many black men to properly raise their own children. All men that are not willing to be responsible for their own families, communities and for themselves, and that do not completely devote their lives to their own children, can blame whoever they want, or wait forever for some one else to step in and for things to improve, but it will never happen.