Violence? I'm Smarter Than That

Walking along Newkirk, between East 16th and East 17th, in front of the Flatbush Development Corp. on Thursday of this week I met a very personable young man named Keith Rogers, Supervisor of the Flatbush Youth Council, and he handed me a flyer for an ArtPeace Rally that was being put on by children of the Flatbush Youth Council in response to all the recent gun violence in the neighborhood. On Wednesday there had been another shooting, on East 17th Street and Newkirk Avenue, of a 25 year old young man named Adetunji, that resulted in his death, the second homicide from a shooting almost virtually on the same corner, the first was a 27th year old, Raphael Kurton, which occurred on May 26th.

Just before meeting up with Keith I had looked at a tribute in candles for the young man that had died on Wednesday. It made my heart sink a bit, to think of a life that could have been so much more, was now gone. And then I found out about the art rally, and I said to myself here are some kids that want to make a difference in their world, and they have a voice. The rally made me think about what I would like to say to a young person/s that hopefully would change the way they were thinking in order to straighten their path from hurting the lives others, and always, always ultimately hurting themselves. So, I sat down and wrote a short and straight to the point piece called “Violence? I’m Smarter Than That,” that I offered as a contribution to the ArtPeace Rally, and Robin Redmond Executive Director of the Flatbush Development Corp. graciously accepted it, and gave it to the children to hand out to the passersby. But the rainbow in all of this, was that it was the children of the Flatbush Youth Council (ages ranging 13-18 years) that came up with the idea to use art to counter the violence, and to send out a message of peace, and they put it together in just two days time. The ArtPeace rally was held Friday, July 17th from 3-6PM with art work by the children, a poster that passersby could write their own messages of peace, there were paper doves hanging on a tree, as well as other symbolic posters for everyone to color in.

Children always have such a clear understanding of how the world should be, and we need to listen to them.

VIOLENCE? I’M SMARTER THAN THAT

Being part of a group that accepts you is where most people want to be, but what if that group lands you in jail. Here’s the deal once you are labeled, boxed, tagged and crated up like an animal. You lose your rights. 1. You cannot vote in most states even after you are released. (You don’t have a say in what happens). 2. When you are in prison the government can legally use you for slave labor. 3. When you get out most job applications ask if you have been in prison (It will be difficult to get a job). 4. When you apply for credit (You won’t be able to get credit to buy a home). This may all seem distant to you now, but when you are in prison, your friends won’t be there, and when you can’t find work your friends won’t be giving you work. It takes great strength of character to say no to violence, and a greater character to act in a spirit of love and kindness, and this takes a great deal of courage. Be smarter than that and find your courage.