Rishwanth Jaypaul's video slide show on David - narrated by David

Thanks Rishwanth!

Comments

[Betsy Santiago]

That video cudnt have been more perfect..David was such an angel and now hes resting with God..Thank you for that video sooo much..I hope hes lookin down on us all smiling that he has touched so many ppl

[Dede]

I known you since i was 18 i have seen all the bad you have done, its amazing how you changed your life, its very sad to think that the world isnt going to be as sucsessful with out someone like you to teach right from wrong from once being in thier shoes. Im going to miss you dearly i have always loved you you made an impact on mine and several others lives i wish you best on your path to the other side

[joey gee]

Greetings, my brothers and sisters

GOD bless. Those of you that are on this communications have been in leadership and have worked hard to prevent violence, youth violence in particular. Many look back at other efforts and call them "Successful." Yet, when you really look at the issues that caused the violence and self-hate, you have to think about the deep roots that poverty coupled with racism has spawned. what was done years ago was equal to just cutting of the stem of the plant and not up rooting it from the earth.

Money, no matter how much is given out within itself can up root or make the major change is behaviors that we see daily. Our court systems in terms of Justice has not really changed and the CORI Law has become a "natural" killer of dreams to rebuild lives, support families and get an education. Of course consideration has been given to hiring ex-offenders in the latest package of money from the Boston Foundations. Trying to stop youth violence in the manner proposed is like a surgeon removing just the foot of a diseased body when more needs to be done.

We have yet to really apply an all inclusive solution driven strategy to build an economy within our community. We have yet to sit as a council to help our selves. Instead, we agree that there are problems, but cannot be solved because there is no funding. Where did that notion come from? Street violence is a behavior problem that begins in most cases in the home. Homes in a lot of cases find parents living below the poverty line, low education, many with substance abuse problems, no hope perceptions and poor self esteem or belief in self. Most youth involved in gang activity do not go to church unless to a funeral.

The majority of our young people do not get caught up in the mindset for violence or joining gangs. In my visits to the courts, it seems that I see many of the same faces. My colleagues that work in DYS say it is like an in and out policy for those youth. when they go to jail, they are allowed to mix with the general population until there is a fight and then they are separated. The mindset of staying a gang banger is not abated even when in prison, thus the return to our community an individual or individuals unprepared to do anyting positive, but terrorize our communities.

As a community, we must demand from the Governor as well as the Mayor of brockton, Chamber of Commerce and similar organizations, i.e. banks that priorities change is in order and that economic stimulas, long absent from the most affected communities needs to be in place. The Community Development agencies have for too long not tried to address nor build commercial spaces for young people that have a business plan to start a business of there own with limited resources. Yet, funds are provided to change a behavior, but none to learn how to work for self and hire others from the community. An example of business/corporation apathy is that there is not even one FedEx in our community and then look around and see what else we have to go outside our community to purchase.

That organizations working with youth and getting positive results should be supported as well with funding and technology to prepare our youth for future jobs. Little attention is given to youth health as they stand outside stores to include liquor stores asking an adult, any adult to make a purchase of cigarettes or alcohol. There are some things that money cannot buy, such as dignity and integrity along with spiritual development. After all the years of neglect there is little challenging the systems that are suppose to assure youth and family development that are failing, we find that the roots never died, but expanded unseen and it is only when you remove the roots that the stems will die. We must do more and bring others to the table in the community joey gee 96.5fm
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