Cabinet officials and Chicago leaders met last Wednesday with a group of teens who were schoolmates of Derrion Albert. Derrion Albert, a 16-year-old honors student from Chicago, was brutally beaten to death last month. The beating was videotaped with a cell phone, and it shows that Derrion was caught in the middle of a street fight between two factions of students from Christian Fenger Academy High School on September 24. The nation's top law enforcement official said, "it is an American problem." According to a poll released last Wednesday by the Department of Justice, 60 percent of youth has been exposed to violence, nearly 50 percent have been assaulted, and more than one in ten have been injured as a result. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley told reporters that he would like to see more adults become mentors and more opportunities to be made available for students after school and on Saturdays. Youth violence is not only in Chicago, and something needs to be done about it.
I think the death of Derrion Albert is a tragic and terrible event, but I'm glad it's bringing attention to everyone. I'm glad we're taking steps to become a safer nation, or at least talking about taking them. The poll released by the Department of Justice shows that something needs to be done. I like Richard Daley's idea of giving students the opportunity to be at school after school and on Saturdays because it gives those kids without stable households a place to go. I think we should do everything we can to prevent teen violence. I feel safe everyday, so reading about how many teens have to live with the threat of daily violence is was kind of a wake up call to the harshness and cruelty that remains in many parts of our country. I don't think this problem should be ignored, and I think people should still be aware of it even if it's not happening in their community.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/07/chicago.violence/
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