Opinion: The lack of positive role models is the reason gun violence exists in Philly
It seems like every other day more and more people are falling victim to firearms.
The main areas in Philadelphia impacted by gun violence are West Philly, North Philly, and the Uptown part of North Philadelphia close to West Oak Lane and Onley. I was born and raised in West Philly. I love my home, but I can admit it’s become increasingly dangerous for block parties, park-side basketball games, and hanging out on the porch with friends.
NBC10 reported a mass shooting at a block party in the Carroll Park section of West Philadelphia last Sunday. There were two suspects in the crime. The one suspect, Amir Jones, has been detained, but the other one is currently still at large.
Sadly, three people were killed and six injured. The shooter is also from the Carroll Park section of West Philly. Sadly, grown men who have been on this earth longer than us are making our city and my home a terrible place to live. Instead of using their critical thinking skills as adults, they resort to unnecessary violence with weapons.
Adults often say, “These kids are crazy nowadays.” But where do they think we get this mindset from?
Now let’s travel to the north side of Philadelphia, also known as Norf. Occasionally, I travel down that side of town from time to time when I’m going to chill with my school friends or when I need to handle some business.
Recently, my mother ordered me to stop the journey down that side of town because North Philly is a place where life doesn’t shine. My mother wrote a poem describing the sad life in the area: “North Philly is the side of the city where 0.045 strive, the good people die, the smart ones fly and you might think he’s your kin but in reality he’s slime. Their mothers have cried, their brothers have died, and the only thing they hope to do is survive.”
Another shooting took place in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia. NBC10 reported that the incident occurred on June 19 at 6:21 p.m. Police said three suspects exited a dark gray Acura TSX that was parked on the corner of 26th and Somerset Streets.
After exiting the vehicle, at least one of the three suspects pulled out a firearm and discharged a weapon on a group of seven civilians, ages ranging between 16 and 46. The victims include three teenagers.
Luckily, everyone involved survived. I hope they continue to heal from the injuries and the traumatic event that occurred last month.
This time it wasn’t just men brandishing firearms. Assailants Khalif Duren, 23, and Amirah Square, 20, were driven to attack people in the Philadelphia streets.
Sadly, with no correct guidance or good role models, kids are persuaded to go down a similar path. Often they hear, “Do this or do that – or it’s going to happen to you.” Then kids begin to think, “I have nothing else to lose.”
Sadly, I’ve been on the opposite side of a firearm.
I was walking down 16th and Lehigh Streets with my friend, whose name shall remain anonymous. I noticed the sky turn from a pink-orange to a purplish black, so I pulled up the transit app on my phone so I could head home.
I had two minutes to board a train to Broad Street. My friend and I began to sprint to the train station at 15th and Lehigh. We got to the middle of the block, and then a man called out to us saying, “Ayo.”
We looked back to glance at the man, who was wearing a light blue and standing near a tree. He had his hands behind his back and began questioning us, asking for our identities.
My friend and I began backing up slowly from the man but soon started running. The man let off 13 shots, and my friend let out a scream: “Wooda wait, I’m shot.” I didn’t stop for a millisecond. My friends kept running, too.
We finally made it to a gas station. I checked my body to make sure I was okay. I glanced to see my left shoulder and it was gushing with blood.
Surprisingly, I felt no pain at the time. Maybe it was the adrenaline. But then I looked to see my comrade. He was shot twice, once in each foot.
I went to help him enter the gas station, and we requested assistance from nearby bystanders. The ambulance arrived to pick us up, and I saw the bullet lodged between his new red Nike sneakers. The material stopped the momentum of the speeding metal.
Gun Violence is supposed to be the last option that a person considers. But in Philadelphia, it’s commonly the first.
These hardships can either make you or break you down from the inside, right until it feels like there’s nothing left but pain. There needs to be more safeguards and better role models to stop gun violence.
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