As I rise this day, I rise with a very heavy heart. When I turn on the news and see more disparity in Philly, I ask myself, ‘What are we doing?’ Each day of the week and every weekend, the violence in the city has become like the O.K. Corral, where people are just going off on a violent rampage. What is the reality when it comes to violence and your state of mind? Why do you feel that it is the best choice to make?
Violence never cures the heart, removes pain, and creates much distortion in one’s mind, the family’s home, and the pain of those that have been affected. We have to do something better, because we are no longer number one on the map, we are now down to being 100 — a place of sheer violence.
You know, there was a time years ago when we would call each other out and say, ‘Let’s have a fair one,’ because there was something happening that we just did not understand. Today, people choose not to call you out on a fair one — instead, they just come out blazing, firing shots, because they also did not understand what was taking place. They did not sit down and have a conversation to communicate what they were lacking, missing, or did not quite get. It is those misunderstandings that have helped cause the violence here in this city. This thing called hatred, disliking, revenge and getting back at someone has led to the death of so many innocent people.
So, we need to begin to sit down at the table and start talking to one another.
If you are waking up on this glorious day on edge, fall on our knees and ask GOD to help you, because your edginess is causing pain in our community. Your sense of lack is causing the hurt in so many others. We need to really try to make better choices, because the choices that we are making in our city are not good. Where do we think we are going to be in the next 100 days if we could not get the last 365 days in order within ourselves?
It is sad what we are experiencing here every day. However, with one change in your life, with one conversation to get clarity and understanding, people can make a world of difference for the children in our community — and for the parents of these children — and produce the hope of what we can do to heal.
The violence in Philadelphia is outrageous. Whatever those tensions are behind this current wave of violence that we have not discussed openly among ourselves have become a death wish for many people. Where we are today and what is happening is not working, as too many lives are being affected and too many people are being taken away from others unnecessarily.
We need to make a change. We need to begin having conversations again so that we can gain clarity about our misunderstandings, and begin to see the city of Philadelphia as the beautiful home of the Liberty Bell. We are still looking for freedom for all people, but right now, the deaths in our city are causing shackles to be placed on our people all over again.
Let us continue to try to make a difference, and hope for a lasting change, for the betterment of all in Philadelphia — the place that we call home. The Sisterly Affection and the Brotherly Love is not happening today. So let’s try to do something different — violence is not the answer. Let us together see what we can do to find those constructive solutions so that we can open doors using the keys that we currently carry, each and every day. Take care, until next time….PEACE!
cj is a poet, educator, motivational speaker, and inspirational writer who resides in Philadelphia. If you were moved by this piece, shoot cj a “like” or comment at: [email protected].
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