The Answer to Youth Violence: Political or Religious Solution?

In the wake of the senseless killings of our youth across the Chicagoland area - there has been a call by the Obama Administration in sending top officials to Chicago to meet about solutions to ending these sick and contagious actions. The reaction of the White House is surely a good one, but is this really a political problem that calls for a political solution? Or is this a religious issue that calls for a religious solution?

Since January of 2009 - there has been over 40 recorded killings of youth to date in Chicago this year. This is a total outrage! Quite frankly whatever is in place now (if anything) in keeping our youth safe - just isn't working. I feel that the political leaders of our state and country should have been reacting from the first killing...let alone 39 killings later. But, would a reaction have done anything better than what's being done now?

To me the political moves haven't worked. How does the penal system answer the call of a solution to end youth violence? How about the blue light flashing police cameras that are on certain corners? What about the citywide curfews that are rarely enforced? What have these done to help?

I feel that our solution could sway more to the religious genre. The leaders of our church today should be taking these killings personal. I know I do. I don't have any biological children, but I have enough God-Children, as well as youth at my church to place myself in a thought of a parent that has fallen victim to their child being murdered. Something has to be done. Taking anyone's life is a bad crime, but when we are loosing our "futures" and our "tomorrows"...there is something that should rise up in the average individual to want to do something about it.

One thing I feel that is important that we ought to be doing is setting up youth mentoring programs through the church so that our young men and women can have good role models to look up to. The sad fact is that our youth are just mimicking that which they are exposed to. So why not implant good behaviors in their minds from credible religious leaders? Behaviors are learned! Whether it is through what they see in their everyday lives, see on T.V., or hear on the radio. True enough the world can't do everything, and good teaching needs to start at home, but when home is what's causing the conflict - other means need to be sought.

So I challenge the religious sector of our city to open their eyes, and to challenge themselves in trying to reach out the the city of Chicago. True enough most of us do a good job with keeping the youth within the four walls of our churches in line, but true mission work and kingdom building must take place outside those walls. So let's start with the virus that has spread throughout our beloved city of Chicago. Our kids are our future...lets preserve them! Not only preserve them, but teach and mentor them to be productive leaders of today and tomorrow.