The last
day of school for some public school students is Friday. Some at private and
other schools are already out for the summer. And on the minds of some elected
officials, community organizations, the police and others, is not simply what
the students will do over summer vacation. Instead, they are working, planning
and coordinating to help ensure that they live through summer vacation.
Violence
has already reached fever pitch in some of the city’s neighborhoods. Families
have already funeralized dozens of youth since students’ Christmas break. And
the warm weather has barely seemed like it would stay in the city before some
30 youth would be arrested for mob attacks on citizens.
Then
there's the crackle of gunfire.
Families
are relieved that mis-aimed bullets did not prove fatal for their daughters
during a recent shooting at a park where a Community Alternative Policing
Strategies meeting was taking place inside the adjacent fieldhouse. But a
family will soon have to bury its son who was gunned down Monday on his 15th
birthday. Another family had their class of 2011 graduate felled by gunfire
Tuesday. Another mother will soon be back in court to witness the last of her
son’s convicted killers sentenced in the teens beating death – which captured
national attention.
Incoming
police Chief Garry McCarthy said officially that the abrupt Memorial Day
weekend closure of a city beach was for the health well-being of the beach
patrons. But like Rev. Jesse Jackson, we agree that there was a different
reason for the closure - safety concerns.
Unfortunately,
the good news of schools like TEAM Englewood sending 98 percent of its
inaugural graduating class on to college is buried, if reported, behind news of
teens - “good” boys and girls, their families say threw teary eyes and lumped
throats - killed on their neighborhood blocks.
Few
other, if any, media outlets reported that Fenger High School tried to
accentuate the positive and motivate its sophomore class to continue to strive
for graduation and Urban Prep Academy once again had a near-perfect graduating
class.
Who would
know that the Westside NAACP handed out several prizes to students who
performed at honorable levels in various science, performing arts and other
categories?
Those
kinds of positive occurrences are overshadowed.
In a
school district that is majority minority, graduates fewer than half of its
students, is grappling with a $700-plus million deficit, is waiting to see what
the new chief, school board and mayor will do, good news does exist in
abundance. But the bad news, which also has to be reported, makes the front
page and A-section headlines. Students, for the most part, have done what they
needed to do. Many of them read countless books, put in hours studying and had
their efforts rewarded.
Violence
happens too often in some of our communities. We have said it before and it
bears repeating: It has to stop. The children are getting out of school for the
summer and we want each of them to have an opportunity to not only enjoy their
break but live through it.
Copyright
2011 Chicago Defender
