Cabinet officials, Chicagoans discuss ways to end teen violence

Cabinet officials, Chicagoans discuss ways to end teen violence
by Caitlin Canavati - Wednesday, 11 October 2009, 08:57 PM
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Last Wednesday, a meeting took place between Cabinet officials and Chicago leaders and a group of teens that went to school with street fight victim Derrion Albert. He was a 16-year-old honors student from Chicago who was found on a cell phone videotape brutally beaten to death last month. The nation's top law enforcement official said that it is an American problem now. a poll released last Wednesday by the Department of Justice tells us that 60 percent of youth has been exposed to violence as well as nearly 50 percent being assaulted along with more than one in ten have been injured as a result. Richard Daley, the chicago mayor, told reporters that he wants to see more adults become mentors for kids and he would like to see more opportunities being made available for students after school and on Saturdays.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/07/chicago.violence/

Hearing this news is a very troubling for me because i feel like we are not exposed this extent of violence. Something like what happened to Derrion is very tragic and I cannot believe that a honor student such as him who would be innocently targeted and beaten to death. I am relieved and happy to hear that something is being done and attention is being paid to this issue as it should be. Kids shouldnt have to be afraid when they are walking in the street that there is a chance they could get beaten or in Derrions case, killed. Something needs to be done about it, and hopefully the ideas that are being worked on will carry out.