Bisera Rozic is a DePaul University student majoring in Economics and a PCG intern.
Community involvement has always been important. It alleviates hardships we face in completing certain tasks on our own. When Hurricane Katrina hit several years ago, several people from my high school traveled all the way down to Louisiana to help people rebuild their lives. The people came together to help one another. This is one of the greatest things about communities. It gives you hope. It's a way of showing that you're not alone in this struggle, I am here to help you.
In 2009, Chicago saw one of the deadliest school years that led to a discussion and a proposition to get the National Guard involved. There are several problems with that idea. The main problem is that the National Guard is not as familiar with the south side of Chicago. It is important to allow a community group such as CeaseFire to get involved. CeaseFire's staff is composed of community members trying to make a difference. They talk to people and try to stop crimes before they occur. The organization was founded in 2000 and has done a tremendous job of helping communities get up on their feet. They help troubled youth get their GED, enter the workforce, and also do their best to stop shootings and other violent crimes before they happen.
Community involvement is better than getting the National Guard involved because your neighbor knows you better than a person from another neighborhood, let alone a different city. A troubled youth is more likely to listen to their neighbor than a stranger. They are more likely to connect to their neighbor than the other person. Furthermore, a community member would know of better ways of approaching the troubled youth because they have a better sense of how the community works. Most importantly, a community is better equipped to offer guidance.
It is important for the community to get involved because the police might be seen as too aggressive and doing nothing will not solve anything. But as a community, it is our duty to take care of our own. These kids just need a little guidance, a guidance that cannot be found in juvenile detention. A community united, however, is able to provide this guidance. Through community, one less mother will bury her child, one more youth will obtain a diploma, one more person will have a job. Through community, hope is restored. This is the goal of such organizations as CeaseFire. This is why community is important and we as a community need to get involved.
Community involvement has always been important. It alleviates hardships we face in completing certain tasks on our own. When Hurricane Katrina hit several years ago, several people from my high school traveled all the way down to Louisiana to help people rebuild their lives. The people came together to help one another. This is one of the greatest things about communities. It gives you hope. It's a way of showing that you're not alone in this struggle, I am here to help you.
In 2009, Chicago saw one of the deadliest school years that led to a discussion and a proposition to get the National Guard involved. There are several problems with that idea. The main problem is that the National Guard is not as familiar with the south side of Chicago. It is important to allow a community group such as CeaseFire to get involved. CeaseFire's staff is composed of community members trying to make a difference. They talk to people and try to stop crimes before they occur. The organization was founded in 2000 and has done a tremendous job of helping communities get up on their feet. They help troubled youth get their GED, enter the workforce, and also do their best to stop shootings and other violent crimes before they happen.
Community involvement is better than getting the National Guard involved because your neighbor knows you better than a person from another neighborhood, let alone a different city. A troubled youth is more likely to listen to their neighbor than a stranger. They are more likely to connect to their neighbor than the other person. Furthermore, a community member would know of better ways of approaching the troubled youth because they have a better sense of how the community works. Most importantly, a community is better equipped to offer guidance.
It is important for the community to get involved because the police might be seen as too aggressive and doing nothing will not solve anything. But as a community, it is our duty to take care of our own. These kids just need a little guidance, a guidance that cannot be found in juvenile detention. A community united, however, is able to provide this guidance. Through community, one less mother will bury her child, one more youth will obtain a diploma, one more person will have a job. Through community, hope is restored. This is the goal of such organizations as CeaseFire. This is why community is important and we as a community need to get involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment