There was yet another fatal shooting in the Newark neighborhood where my old school is. I am still in touch with many of my old colleagues and they have told me that due to neighborhood violence, all after school activities have been put on hold, or just outright cancelled. Another heartbreaking thing I've learned is that the music teacher who replaced me (who was the reason I was let go from the school) left at the conclusion of last year. He didn't like the kids and the feeling was mutual. As a result, the school just lost its music program.
I read about the recent school shooting in Nevada and the poor teacher who bravely gave his life. That made national headlines - as it should. Meanwhile in Newark the streets are filled with gunfire and innocent people are getting killed almost every day and yet - not a peep in the national media. It's almost like gun violence in the inner-cities...well that's expected.
Cory Booker was just elected Senator in my home state and I must shake my head. The entire time he was campaigning the national media never confronted him on the gun violence in Newark. No one grilled him on that. Again, it's like it's just supposed to be that way.
Imagine what the possibilities could be for those young people in our inner-cities if they could just walk to school and then back home safely? Most of the kids living in Newark (and cities like it) are already living in poverty. Add the fear of violent death to that, and what kind of expectations can we put on them to learn? What kind of expectations can they put on themselves?
I just wish someone would ask these questions loud enough for everyone to hear.
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