BULLETPROOF

Perception. Empathy. Action.

PERCEPTION. Imagine waking up to hear someone in your community has just been killed in a drive-by shooting. A shooting that caused someone you loved, admired, or considered a friend their life. A reckless, yet senseless act of violence that could have easily been avoided. The streets are now filled with anger, crying children and grieving parents wishing the death of their loved one or friend could have never happened. Now imagine that happening every day as you replay the perpetual feeling of anger and grief.

EMPATHY. "Aw I feel bad for the people over there. The ghetto. It's their fault, they are killing their own people." - some person who has never been in the hood but conveys their sympathy.

Empathy versus Sympathy. A concept rarely understood. Sympathy is often given , but what does sympathy do? Anger and grief grows while a war is continuing amongst our own kind, children are growing up without guidance, and the schools are lacking resources. You say you feel bad and it sucks, but is that fixing anything?

ACTION. Ask yourself, what can I do different? What can I do to prevent the destruction of my community and families? What can I do to BREAK THAT BARRIER ? A barrier that seems inescapable but in reality it is not. Let those questions linger.

In my community and in other urban communities, there is an epidemic that is in need of crucial reforms. Gun violence is a huge issue within our country, but it is often a neglected issue in minority communities like inner city Miami, Chicago, and Baltimore. Instead it is a problem that "those black people" need to fix. Yes, there are internal issues with in the black community, BUT leaving it to be a problem for "those people" causes nothing but a routine cycle of destroying an already broken community. Back to the concepts of Perception, Empathy, and Action, with perception you see life through the lens of others(in this case, blacks who reside in crime-ridden and violent communities). With that perception, empathy is formed to understand what is going on and initiate a call for change which in other words is action. Action, a concept that is simple yet very powerful.

While we live in a country that is carelessly bandaged of its flaws, there are small steps we can take as individuals to stop the killing of each other in our communities. The lives of children, teens, and young adults are taken away, for what? It is time to reform our internal issues, while raising awareness for the lives of young blacks in communities pillaged by violence.

RIP MENDELL LEBEL (Miramar, Florida)

RIP DARIN WILLIAMS JR (Miami Gardens, Florida)