What Should We Do To Help Change The Culture Of Violence In Our Youth?

A few months ago, a friend of mine suggested that I comment on some possible solutions to the daily murders, violence, and crimes being committed in just about every major city of America.

Honestly, the above topic is..."above my pay grade"😁 and more complicated than the amount of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding I possess. However, it is a very serious topic that deserves much attention. Although I don't believe I'm qualified to properly address the question, I told my friend that I would do my best to offer the only solution I have to this crisis. Before I attempt to give my perspective on a possible solution, I want to take a second to outline some of the factors that I believe contribute to this crisis:

• Extreme Poverty

• A lack of proper role models and mentors

• The influence of the media, music, and the entertainment business

• Peer pressure

• The culture of America being rooted in our founded on violence

• The effects of the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade

• Drugs

• Gangs

• Chauvinism

• Abuse

• Our government's responses to inner-city violence

• Guns (whether you believe it to be too many guns, or not enough)

• Immorality

• Income gaps

• Horrible schools

• Broken homes

Now whether you believe all, some, or none of these agents to be responsible is your opinion; these are mine. I'm not only convinced that each one contributes to the problem, but that they all weave together to compound the problem!

To go into more detail on my reasoning for each of the above points would be broader than the scope of this article. But if you'd like to question some of the factors I've named, then I'd encourage you to write me or Jpay me and we can converse about it, click here and scroll down for instructions.

I took the time to give as many examples as I could for mainly two reasons:

1. So the reader can actually see how many nuances there are to this grand problem; I'm sure I didn't think of every single contributing element!

2. Without looking at all of the factors, how can one actually come up with a sound solution?

I know what you're thinking, "Alright already, can we just get to your so-called 'solution'."

Sure. My solution is simple. If every person focused on themselves to become the best example of a human they could be, then others around them would be influenced too. And in no time the trends of violence would start to shift. I think its the responsibility of every human being to make himself/herself better...which in turn would make better families...who would become better communities...that would grow into better cities...that would certainly stand together as a better nation...that would affect the whole world.

Bottom line is change starts with you, the man or woman in the mirror! Be the change you want to see in the world.

Much Love,

Soul