A HEADLINE OVERDUE

OCT 4, 2009 a body of a boy who was 16 years in age was laid to rest. 12 feet under for a 16 year old, who should be in school today, keeping up his grades like the honors student he was. The place of the killing was outside of his high school, Fenger High, a school on the south side of Chicago. A teacher with one less student, a mother without a son, grandparents without a grandson and a community with one less honors student comes as a result of the vicious beating of Darrion Albert-[a fight that can now be called pre-meditated murder.]This beating landed four teens in jail-making it a total of five losses if the four teens in custody are founded guilty. Headline news all over the country reported this act of violence, an act recorded on tape from those standing and watching a murder. Teenagers,  just standing there…watching a murder. 

[A  question that comes to mind when hearing the countless news coverage on this event is how many deaths occurred before this violent culture in Chicago can get on the 5p.m news?] How many times must a college student from Chicago [me] go home and hear about someone who is no longer living? This misconstruction of headline fatalities for underlining issues in urban communities has resulted in countless deaths.  Darrion Albert was laid to rest in October 2009, a body that resembles countless others in the same city. [“Troubled teens” is not the correct terminology when thinking of those who could participate in such an act-. This incident is not a problem in the urban neighborhoods of Chicago, it is an epidemic that is around the nation-and it has been spreading for a long time.] The 2007 school year in Chicago lay to rest more than THIRTY students. Funerals occurred for THIRTY of young people that were in school- not including the deaths of those who are no longer concerned about their education. 120. 

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY 

is the number of young people in ONE housing project who have not returned to school in fear of losing their life. In May of this year Chicago Police found a FIFTEEN year old boy’s body burned beyond only after being shot in the head-Alex Arellano was a student of Chicago Public Schools as well. [The only news station that viewed continuous coverage on Alex was local news stations in Chicago-“hmmm”…lets compare that to how many show the Sunday football game coverage.] President Obama has recently sent Attorney General, Eric H. Holder, and Education Secretary, Arne Duncan to Chicago to investigate the case and come up with a solution. [I wonder if that will get news time]
photo source: wwwimages.cbs.com