Teen Killed In Boston - Again

"Our babies are afraid"

That was the most recent title of an all too common newspaper article describing the latest kid to get shot in the Boston area.

Last week (early October) a 13 year old Dorchester boy was killed. He was shot while walking home from a friend's house. It was about 8pm. Not far from that spot - not far in distance or time - a 19 year old was shot in the leg at the same location of a drive-by triple shooting in February 2007. What's going on?

Some say the 13 year old victim was just "in the wrong place at the wrong time." The family disagrees with this and so do I. The kids was just walking home. He wasn't a gang member, he wasn't doing anything wrong. As far as anyone knows he didn't do anything that would cause anyone to want to harm him. The excuse of just "being in the wrong place" is just a cop out for people who don't want to admit what the real problem is.

More and more we read about Columbine-like shootings (or plannings). Its getting to be so common it doesn't even make headline news anymore. But what should we expect from a society that teaches that truth is relative and all that matters are ones "rights". No one raises their kids to be the "bad guys" but unless we are consciously raising them to be the good guys, there is only one alternative.

In a few days the news about this unfortunate kid and his family will fade from everyone's memory. The problem won't go away but the memory of the specific incident will.

In the mean time politicians and the "experts" will all talk about social programs designed to help, but no program can help. The problem is a problem in people's hearts - not knowing right from wrong - and no one will dare talk about that for fear of "offending" someone. We need to teach kids to honor and protect each other. We need to show them BY EXAMPLE, not to waste time following fantasies or the current "fun" thing to do. Instead, whatever is good, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is true, concentrate on these things.

Kids learn from adults. Adults are the role models. The problem is the adults don't even know what "good" behavior is. Its not enough to teach kids to say "please" & "thank you". People think if they teach their kid to be polite then they have raised "good kids". This is a lie. You've simply raised kids who will say "please" before they shoot you and "thank you" afterwards.

As long as this society continues to believe that God is dead and Elvis is alive, kids will be getting shot in Boston and everyplace else. People will continue to ask "what's going wrong" yet the answer is obvious.

Let's face it folks, standing up for the truth is not for cowards.

-Steve