Crofton, Baltimore what next???

This post may be better served on the rant and rave, but we are Marylanders and this concerns us.
I live in Crofton, and young thugs killing our kids is unacceptable.  Ok now for the old guy talk.  Let me tell you about the gangs  my son and I participated in  I'll list the most dangerous  ones first.
1.  Little league - a group of kids throw things and swinging bats

2.  Boy Scouts   kids marching,saluting, wearing uniforms, firing weapons, learning survival skills and ah yes, lighting fires

3.  Sunday School - a mixed bag of outdoor activities, talking about ancient stories, praying to a God
4.  Key Club - promoting leadership and community involvement, seeds of insurection
5.  High School Rifle team - firearm  weapons instruction
6.  Football - guys trying to tear the heads off each other.  Physical violence training
7.  Study groups - secretly held think tanks with diverse and free thinking thoughts - Anarchy
These my son and I were members of all before we were 18
 
The need for group acceptance is nothing new.  Building your self esteem by bringing another down also nothing new. 
Maybe the difference in todays gangs and the ones we were in is called civilized behavior, taught at home.  Parents should face the consequences of the behavior they teach
 
Whats your answer for the gang activities in Crofton and Inner Harbor??

Hey LBS!!!  You know, this incident was disturbing on a very basic level for me.  This occurred IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY and no one saw or heard anything?

Clearly, crime, gangs, etc., are moving out of the city and into the surrounding suburbs.  All police departments are short on funds, thus, they're short on manpower. 

I think the first step is for parents to be accountable for their children (like you were).  You know the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child"?  Well, that's true of parents, schools, communities, etc.  Unfortunately, many parents today don't take responsibility for their children, their whereabouts and their actions.

When we were growing up, my parents knew where we were at ALL times and they knew the people with whom we associated, and this actually continued until we were grown and out of the house.  We weren't allowed to associate with unsavories, and God help us if we got into trouble at school, with friends, sassed a teacher, a friend's parent or another adult.  Likewise, my brother and I apply the same principles to his two children - ages 13 and 10.  We are NOT raising thugs!

I think the root of this problem is at home.  Like I said, many parents today don't want to accept responsibility for their children's actions, but are the first to point a finger at the police, the schools, and community leaders for not keeping their children safe.  I also think it's sadly comical when you hear the parent of a bully say, "He/she is a good child, is being persecuted because of race, my kid wouldn't do this," blah, blah, blah.  Wake up, people!!!!!

Tia

Tia,
Great post.  My wife teaches in a PG Elem school.  Mostly hispanic, 1/3 black, 1/4 east indian.  Guess who shows up at the PTA and teachers mtgs? Guess who are the first to complain about the teachers?
I hope this thread gets some ideas floating.
It breaks my heart to think what that family is going through, burying their child
And as the talk shows brought out yesterday, she had to act against the school to protect him.  The school failed to act against the bad guys. That needs to be looked into.

I know, I watched the family talk about how they'd tried to get the school to intervene, to no avail.

You can bet your sweet bippy that if KB were being bullied in any way, shape or form, and the school acted too slowly or God help them, not at all, I'd be camping out at the Board of Ed, driving around with signs on my car, whatever it took to get it stopped.

Hmmm......now you've gone and done a dangerous thing and made me THINK!!!  Me sees a great, thought provoking survey/post coming out of this!!  Stay tuned!!!!

Thanks,

Tia

I absolutely agree that it starts at home.  Yes, I was raised to 'respect/fear' my parents but I never doubted that it was because they loved me. I also got a TON of unconditional love at home that let me know that those strict punishments were because they loved me, not because they wanted to be mean to me.

My parents knew where I was at and who I was with and we had rules... and if we broke the rules, we were grounded, and my parents didn't have ANY problem embarassing the crap out of me in front of others when I needed it.

I live in a neighborhood with a lot of kids, yet I have none of my own.  It DOES take a village to raise a child, or at least I believe so.  And you wouldn't believe how many kids WANT to hang out with me and Bill because we talk to them, we work with them..... They want adult companionship but don't get it at home.  AND they still want to hang around us even when I tell them NO and don't put up with their crap...  kids crave stability and love and discipline.  Almost every weekend I have a kid volunteering to mow my yard, just to hang out with us, and hopefully go in the pool and play with my dogs later.  I wish parents weren't so afraid to spend time with their kids and to discipline them. 

Hello I too live in Crofton right around the corner from this act of senseless violence. I am so darn angry and think that parents need to know where and with who your kids are and what  they are doing. I have 2 sons and you can bet I have seen great change in this community. I have lived here for 19 years and the past 3 years have been bad. There are kids openly selling drugs in the corners and even back in the community. They walk the street late at night sometimes at 3 and 4 in the morning they are out walking and hanging out. I wish I knew where their parents are. I have known at all times where my kids are and who they are with. This child did not deserve to die at the hands of others who just hate. No child should die by any means. I also think the 14 year old should be charged as an adult he had to know right from wrong. I can remember when my 16 year old was in kindergarten they taught them keep your hands to yourself. My God did they forget? We have a Neighborhood Watch that has been in place for 3 years. We have meetings every month and the same 6 people attended. We ended up canceling our meetings and don't know when will restart them. You would think that the community would have came together but instead no one came. What is wrong with people. It does take a village to raise a child and have a safe community. I think  the parents should be held accountable as well. You can not just send your children out in the street to play you need to know whats going on at all times. Wake up parents there are serious problems here in Crofton. I would love to see a curfew in place and kids must be in by 10:30 unless with an adult or coming or going to work. This would help stop all the after hour trouble. Sorry to ramble but I am way to pissed..We need to pray too...

                                                                               Julie