Rooting out violence

Curtis Smith, 61, and a father and husband, was robbed and fatally shot while mowing his lawn. The irony is that Smith’s brutal killing happened on June 2, National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Unfortunately, his fate was the same for so many unsuspecting black men. In this country, homicide is the No. 1 killer of black men ages 15 to 35.

Stopping murders, particularly in the black community, is complicated. Unarmed black men are often gunned down by criminals and law-enforcement officers. There must be some major changes in policing in order to build trust. Yet, some of us are reluctant to get involved because of the bond between the victim and the perpetrator through family, community or upbringing. As painful as it is to report our children’s illegal behavior, we must make sure if an illegal weapon is in our home, we get rid of it before someone is killed.

Not snitching is not always done out of fear. People will convince themselves their silence is a demonstration of protection or love. A true demonstration of love for our family and community is doing what is right and getting our children help.

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Rooting out violence."