Urban Gun Violence
A recent surge in gun violence has left many residents across the Washington region wondering how and why disputes involving young people spiral into deadly confrontations. Kojo gets a local and national perspective on underlying causes of youth violence.
Guests
This American Life: Harper High School
A two-part series on Harper High School in Chicago, where 29 current and recent students were shot in 2012 alone. This American Life went to get a sense of what it means to live in the midst of all this gun violence, how teens and adults navigate a world of funerals and Homecoming dances. They found so many incredible and surprising stories.
- Listen to Part One
- Listen to Part Two
Part two picks up where the story left off in the second hour from Harper High School in Chicago. Reporters find out if a shooting in the neighborhood will derail the school's Homecoming game and dance. They also hear the origin story of one of Harper's gangs. And, finally, ask a group of teenagers: where do you get your guns?
Comments
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What an amazing and pertinent show - thank you!
I WAS HAPPY TO HEAR CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC TODAY. I HAVE BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY SINCE 1990, AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS COMING TO VA AREA EVERYONE WARNED ME NOT TO GO TO DC AT NIGHT. THE RECENT GUN INCIDENT SHOULD BE ALARMING NOT ONLY TO DC OFFICIALS AND RESIDENTS BUT TO OTHER ADJACENT AREAS RESIDENTS TOO. I AM ORIGINALLY FROM A COUNTRY WHERE 30 YEARS AGO , PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO GO OUT LATE AT NIGHT WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS FOR OUTINGS. Then in 1980's fathers started to go out of the country for work leaving their families back home . From 1980's an onward this country saw young men out at night with guns doing roberries and murders . Now this violence is so spread out all over the cities that even in the day time these teenagers and other young men are out snatching phones and jewlery from women and killing anyone who is on the street. I see the same trend in US where young people are allowed to have parties at night by their families (unlike Canada where there is curfew after certain hours for young people). Unfortunately, right now people are thinking that it is only DC problem , but in reality it is not . Here is an example , People in Fairfax or Arlington will be homless and if we tell them that we have section 8 choice vouchers available in DC and in PG counties People are so scared to move to these areas because of their children's safety . They would rather be living in shelter then in steady housing.
Some solutions that could curb this violence;
schools needs to be working with parents and other community members
Schools and community centers providing classes on coping with anger and grief
strict laws on drug use especially drugs like Marijuana that can be found easily may be not in schools but outside the schools.
curfew hours for young adults by the city
working with other jurisdictions officials
Lastly, residents are their own advocates. Laws and safety are not only for those areas where senators, Presidents and people like Donald Rumsfield live . It should be available for common people too like you and me.