Man Shot And Killed In Hartford's Fourth Homicide Of 2014
Ever heard the names Torrence Gamble Jr., Taijhon Washington, Kyle Brown-Edwards, Varnouard Hall, or Durell Patrick Law? No? They've all been killed this year in New Haven, another city in our state and the home of Yale University. There are no make-shift memorials for them nor any trusts set up in their memories. No t-shirts, no plaques, no city parks, no 5K footraces that bear their names.
I hear secular and church politicians speak about gun violence [and speak and speak...], but the only thing they've done in recent years is make it difficult for the law-abiding sportsmen and sportswomen of the state to purchase ammunition. That does nothing; it saves no one.
Gun laws do not prevent gun violence. By definition, criminals work outside of the law; hence the title "outlaw". Laws such as these merely constrain the law-abiding. Criminals will always have guns. If I were of a more cynical nature, I would observe that, as the victims of gun violence in Connecticut are mostly young, black men, this does not seem to be a demographic that anyone in power deeply cares about. Good thing I'm not more of a cynic.
I grew up in an urban neighborhood and taught in what used to be called an "inner-city" high school. I've been the pastor of urban churches. I've seen what violence does; I've also seen what creates it. Do you want to know what would reduce gun violence? First, secular and church politicians could do whatever is necessary to create jobs and skills training programs in their cities. Second, social institutions would need to be encouraged, especially those of relevance to an urban population.
Unfortunately, the economic model of our state does not succeed in creating urban jobs as much as it does in creating dependency on federal and state aid; our social institutions are ignored or derided for not fitting into the political concern du jour. Don't even get me started on the decay of religion-based social programs, something else that's been ignored by the state.
[Although, the mainstream Protestant churches have been willing to aid in their own demise. When I was active in Hartford and the federal government was promoting "faith-based programming", I was discouraged by some of the diocesan leadership from allowing my church to participate as the programming was the product of a Republican administration. Yeah, that was logical. I ignored that advice, of course, and we were able to start a reading program for school-age children that boosted their ability to something closer to their grade level. For my apostasy, I now abide in a rural corner of the state and get to preach to a whole sixty or seventy people on a good Sunday. That doesn't really matter, though, as I know there are adults today who can read because of our efforts.]
Instead, non-criminal activity was made a felony through hastily written and ratified gun control laws, the politicians patted themselves on their backs for their "bravery", clergy continue to bore congregations with transient social concerns, mental health treatment and poverty-born futility continue to be ignored, and young, black men die.