Roll Call. High Profill Killings

Today's Chicago Tribune Editorial titled "Protecting our Own" shows photos of six high profile killings since 1984. The editorial laments "we've been there before" and repeats "it will take more than new policing strategies". It ends with "Chicago needs a new commitment to protect it's own."

I've been giving this message for over 20 years, since 1992, when I formed the Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) in the weeks following the killing of Dantrell Davis. This front page of the October 1992 Chicago SunTimes has the same call for involvement.

While the media are once again highlighting this problem, and we're starting a new year, I encourage you, your company, your high school, your social and civic group, to organize reading and reflection circles that read the articles I've posted, follow the links to the other web sites I point to, and consider advertising based strategies that draw needed attention and resources to every high poverty neighborhood, so that more needed youth and family services grow in places where they are needed, and so they stay in place and constantly improve over the next 20 years.

Look at this Role of Leaders strategy and this Collaboration Strategy. Implement these ideas now. Grow them from year to year.

I don't expect anyone to understand all of this in a few days. I've spent 35 years thinking about ways to connect volunteers and youth and keeping a tutor/mentor program operating in a high poverty neighborhood. Had city leaders adopted some of the ideas I've been sharing since 1993 perhaps we'd be in a different position today.

Adopt these ideas now and perhaps in 20 years we won't have another set of pictures with a new call to responsibility.