Youth Violence Is Out Of Control

By Beverly Gadson-Birch

Hot temperatures are no stranger to the low country. We got off to a pretty slow start, but the heat is revving up. It’s something about the heat and full moon that make folks go ballistic. While temperatures are on the rise, so is teenage violence.
Last week, three students at a Berkely County middle school were discovered with three guns on campus. Did I say three guns and middle school students? You betcha I did. Four middle school students were charged in the incident. Youth violence is on the rise in Charleston.

Last week, a mass shooting took the lives of 10 shoppers in a most unlikely place—a supermarket in Buffalo, NY. Can you imagine shopping for groceries and staring down the barrel of a high powered rifle? Then, in a split second you are dead at the hands of an 18 year old racist?

As I was penning this article, a news report flashed across the screen. Another 18 year old killed 18 elementary school children, a teacher and critically wounding others in Uvalde, Texas. Law enforcement officers said the gunman had a handgun and an assault rifle as he entered the school. He is also charged with killing his grandmother before the school shootings.

Let’s not forget the nine parishioners killed at Mother Emanuel in Charleston, SC at the hands of 21-year-old Dylann Roof. The coward waited until the church goers closed their eyes to pray before he carried out his premeditated murders. Yet, SC has a problem signing a Hate Crime Bill into law.

Where are these young people getting guns and high powered rifles? Even more important, where are the parents? Where ‘da heck are the parents?

The sad ending to these killings is every one of them is senseless. Modern day kids are so hot headed, you can’t tell them anything. They have not lived long enough to know anything, but think they know everything. What we are seeing now is the result of those same “cute kids” parents allowed to have their way. These are the same kids that if they went to church, they were allowed to stand up on the pews or run up and down the aisles. I betcha these are the same kids who wore $200 tennis shoes to school and had cell phones before they could spell phone. These are the same kids who spent most of their waking hours playing violent “shoot ’em up” video games and did not have to make up their beds. Many of these 14, 16 and 18 year old teens are the products of parents who themselves were teen parents.
Where are the parents of these teens who are allowed to run the streets at odd hours of the night? These kids belong to someone. They weren’t hatched. Even chickens take better care of their chicks than some parents take of their children. Chickens keep their chicks under their wings until they can survive on their own before turning them loose. At 14 and 16 what is it that children know? There is too much sexting and texting going on much too early.

A friend of mine, who is a grandmother, recently learned her 16 year old grandson got a 14 year old girl pregnant. She said she was not surprised. She spoke to the girl’s grandmother about allowing her grandson to come to her house when she wasn’t home. He used to go to the girl’s house with her grandmother’s knowledge. What in the hamsandwich is wrong with these modern day mothers and grandmothers? A law needs to be crafted with stiff fines for parents who allow their children a gateway to sex, guns and the streets before they reach an age of responsibility and accountability.

Our communities are being taken over by out of control teens. I don’t know about you, but we need to take back our communities from the thugs, drug pushers, gun runners and teens. It’s getting where seniors don’t feel safe walking the streets in broad daylight.

Values should be taught in the home but where there are none, we are missing a teachable moment.