We must write our history and tell our story
By Lefelo Moss
My Opinion
In my first assignment for the blacknewsweekly.com, I think it is important for young Blacks to step up and create a rallying cry for self-determination. For too long, Black people have sat back and let others tell our story and write our history. As a result, the history is written and our story is told about us and never for us. Until we are able to tell our story, we will get respect as a race among other peoples of the world.
It appears we are eliminating our own race with stupidity. It’s time for Black people old and young to step-up to the plate and be accountable for our behavior and action. We are letting our youth go to waste without even saying anything about it, and we definitely can't expect anyone else to do it because that is not what they want.
The first need for our future starts at home. If you are the parents of these kids that are behaving like harden criminals it's past time to take out your belts — paddles, or whatever else is need because if you don't beat their ass now someone else surely will. A community is suppose to be a close-nit family that looks out for one another, not condone and accept that the vast majority of our young people are want-to-be gang bangers.
Next, I’m calling out all young Black men from ages 20-30 to step-up and be real role models and not lead our teenagers down the wrong path. Show them the right way to do things; that's what really being 100% real is about! If you're in the age range that I am talking about, why are you still trying to bang or just starting to bang? Once you reach your 20's, you should be transitioning from childhood to college life or family life.
Violence in Chattanooga is out of control. Period! Just the other day a new wave of violence hit the city. Local news reports stated that police had to deal with three separate shootings on Tuesday afternoon through early Wednesday morning as a spate of violence continues in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga police responded to a shooting at the 2400 block of E. 12th Street around 10:20 p.m. When police arrived on the scene they found a vehicle had crashed into a tree and a 19-year-old Hixson youth, Michael Graham, was suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck.
According to the newspapers, a juvenile passenger was with the victim, they were traveling home from East Ridge and stopped in the area of E. 12th to sell marijuana in the area, then got lost. They saw two black males walking and asked for directions.
My last call it is to the police of Chattanooga who are ignoring that there is a problem but has actually said that they are bracing for a hike in violence with the warmer weather. If you know that problems are looming, why wouldn't you be proactive and take action before the shit hits the fan? We have already had the warning shots well in advance and no one has stepped up to come up with a solution to bring the violence to an end.
Let me help you do your job and tell you that there should have been a curfew for teenagers months ago; telling them that if they are out after the streetlights come on the will be punished. I hate to come back to the race issue, but if these were young white kids killing each other action would have been taken a whole year ago.
Kids are still kids, and a lot of them have not started making decision for themselves and it is our responsibility to protect them by any means necessary even if it calls for jail time?