Saturday, July 21, 2007

Who's Responsible When Young Black Men Kill?

How much blame rests on the shoulder of my baby boomer generation for the destructive behavior of the YZ generation?


News from the Friday, July 20 edition of the Los Angeles Times:

LAPD Southwest: Aric Lexing, 26, and Scott Grant, 40, both black men, were shot to death in a double homicide in the 4000 block of Stevely Drive in lower Baldwin Hills at about 3:30 a.m. Friday, July 20. Both men died at the scene. They were seated in a parked vehicle when they were shot. One of the victims got out of the car with a gunshot wound in his chest, made it about 40 feet and collapsed. The second was lying dead in the passenger seat. Police seek help. (213) 485-2417.

Aric had just received his Master's Degree from a College in Louisiana and moved to the Los Angeles area to be closer to his mom and other family members while waiting to find out if he would be accepted to the Police or Border Patrol Academy. He would never find out due to his senseless murder.

His mom, Ora Stearns-Smith is a dear friend of mine. She is like a sister to me--a baby boomer diva in every sense of the word---a woman who reminds me how wonderful God truly is even when I have my doubts. She didn't deserve to have this tragedy happen in her life. She's suffered enough. Just last November she lost her brother to gun violence. He was murdered by some foster children he had taken in---over a cell phone---Two years ago she lost her oldest daughter to a brain tumor.

What in the world has happened to the YZ generation of children who seem to have no fear and no regard for human life? Are we, as baby boomers, somehow responsible for not reaching out more in some way?

I used to believe in praying for the lost soul---but I'm more and more convinced that some lost souls just don't give a damn about being found.

1 comment:

Carine-what's cooking? said...

my heart goes out to your friend. Such a horrible, senseless tragedy. I can't imagine the grief she must feel. My parents lost a child, she would've been 48 this past February. I know they've never recovered. Can't imagine going through that kind of pain twice.

Passing the Torch from Baby Boomers to Millennials to Gen Z

Whether baby boomers can accept it or not, a changing of the guard has taken place with  millennials and the up and coming Gen Z generations...