Comments on: Mallahan Upsets the Dust on Youth Violence

By: Liz Ali

Liz Ali — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:56:23 +0000

I didn’t take offense to what Mallahan said in this piece, I personally feel that he is saying what he thinks is PC. Isn’t that what most politicians do?
Our current Mayor and the two candidates running in this election have no understanding what-so-ever of the youth violence issue- period.
When someone says to me (and two of the three people mentioned above have) “So tell more about this youth violence stuff? I don’t really understand it” why is this happening? It’s apparent where their level of understanding is on this issue. So it’s very superficial when they come out in public in the next week and openly say they understand what the solutions are, when they have no real understanding of the problem.
Does Mallahan really understand what he is saying” “attacking the culture of self hatred” certainly this can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. If he understood, then his solution wouldn’t conflict with the problem. What outreach? More of the same police officers and gang units, harsher penalties for youth related crimes etc. etc.etc. This is not what I would call a great self-esteem builder.
I would like to ask both candidates, where is their “real “compassion about this issue? If we value human life above all else we wouldn’t play politics at such a crucial time.
Auy vey…it’s way too early for this! I just had to add my two cents.
Peace~ Liz

By: Dawn Mason

Dawn Mason — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:03:19 +0000

Joe Mallahan did not mention race and I did not think it hearing this response. It is an excellent response, if we keep attacking youth violence at the symptom level we will lose. Mayor as doctor willing to diagnose the ailment as others stop the bleeding is what we need. Thanks Joe Mallahan for not being insulting by worrying about being politically correct or making mush of words in your mouth.

I have taken up a lead role in the Aaron Sullivan Weapons Ban movement. As an African American woman and parent of African American kids, there is a role I can and do play in all of this. I will correct Joe and advise him that most people get their cues form age mates or just a few years up when they are young. So we need fully functioning older adults being role models for the parents of the kids we are losing, not the kids themselves. Then we need younger adults modeling for the kids.

I know that a 15 year old girl can not see herself as being a Dawn Mason one day. Dawn Mason looks ancient to her and the years between us are too many. But when my daughter presents or has the conversation she is heard. So supporting our young people to get out there and help with this work will be good. We can get this work done in all communities but we have to do it differently than we have been doing it.

What I like about Mallahan is that he committed two years to the Barack Obama campaign,and understands the Pres. Obama method for “Change We Can Believe In.” Change that starts in neighborhoods with real people, and in the City Halls across America.

By: Sable

Sable — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:07:22 +0000

Respectfully,

We’re talking about the cycle of violence. I am not saying that it is a disease now because it is black-on-black. We’ve had about a dozen young Latinos in West Seattle who have also been gunned down. They also face the same negatives that perpetuate this behavior. Whether we use a clinical term is almost irrelevant, sort of like that old saying “if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a noise?” The answer is yes. To look at something as a disease is to also look at curing the root of the problem, rather than just the symptoms.

By: harriett walden

harriett walden — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:02:59 +0000

I am again youth violence being consider a disease now that it is black on black killing. That the easy way out. Why was it not a disease when white people was running the slave trade and lynching Black folks it was not a disease when we segregated in communities with out work. Only now it is a disease I disagree.Violence is the land it is as American as apple pie, our youth is a mirror of this society.