Local bloggers Michael Molivinsky and Bernie O’Hare wrote today about the The Morning Call and Lehigh Valley News articles about 3 separate mass shootings this past weekend. In one article, they both mention a 1 year old boy died from a gunshot wound. They were directed at Hassan Batts and his non profit Promise Neighborhoods, which held a rally at there office on Union street in Allentown. . My corrected response to both bloggers is below:
“The tragedy of a one-year-old child getting shot is profound enough as it is. But to suggest that poverty is to blame? That does kind of throw me for a loop. I say this, while looking back on my life and the battles with poverty I have conducted, and am still conducting.
We need more police officers on the streets, not peering through computer monitors watching surveillance videos and monitoring license plates, or downloading pr0n on the city network. We need better education to teach our children that violence is not the answer to their problems. I give credit to Hassan Batts for his work with our youth so far. But it’s an uphill battle against Hollywood and the Internet, and it’s not enough. In a free society, we must teach the value of life and the power of guns to our young early and often by everyone, or our free society will teach violence to those youth who will listen and participate through their smartphones and other computing devices. We need to counter our violent cultures that preach otherwise. “With great power comes great responsibility”.
I grew up in poverty. For the first 18 years of my life or so, I grew up without running water in Mt. Bethel. On August 1st 1988, my dad, while experiencing homelessness in Allentown, was stabbed to death in a homeless camp protecting my mother from a would be rapist. Even now, I am experiencing poverty again because it’s such a low barrier for entry. JOB is an acronym that means Just Over Broke.
What am I doing about it? Did I go postal? No. After 60 years, I’m still working on it. I’m hosting an event this Saturday at 7th and Hamilton to protest against the orange man and why he is still free? What else am I doing about it? I’m running for congress to invoke real change upon the world while I still live and breathe. Will the local politicos show up for me? They have failed before,, despite being known as “that idiot” who streams Allentown city council meetings. Will the press show up on time for me? They too have failed before. To quote the late Bon Scott, ” I’m gonna ride on “. http://www.shupeforcongress.com”
On days like this, people suck. But we have to do better. Our children’s future depends on it.