Columnist Jamala Rogers
Politicians are real busy this election cycle kissing babies to show how caring they are. Conversely, they enact draconian measures when pressured by the public to do something about out-of-control youth.
I say enough of using our children as political pawns. Let’s work together to address their fundamental needs in a systematic, comprehensive and compassionate way. The new year is an excellent time for a different direction that produces successful outcomes.
Wish #1: We make our children a priority.
Last month at the annual Metropolitan Children’s Summit, keynote speaker Dr. Pedro Noguero challenged an audience of child services providers,
policy makers, elected officials, educators and parents. After checking out the new baseball stadium on his way to the summit venue, Dr. Noguero queried, “If this city cared about its kids like you care about your baseball team …” He received rousing applause. I say our children should get the financial pampering and fiscal attention our sports teams get.
Wish #2: We pay attention to the research and behavioral trends.
Regularly, St. Louis gets a reality check on the health and well-being of our children. The Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Report, Kids Count and the Black Youth Project Report were among the reports released in 2007 that document a major breach in our societal obligation. The data was not promising for our youthful citizens or for our city’s future.
Self destructive and anti-social behavior is on the rise. For the first time in over a decade, teen pregnancy rates have taken a leap up. Not surprising, the rates of venereal diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis also went up. Abuse of drugs and alcohol has increased, as did suicide rates and incidents of attempted suicide. Our children are self-medicating and losing hope for a reason. We seem to be missing all the cues.
Wish # 4: Our solutions match the problems.
Despite the howl for young blood, a few judges like Milton Wharton and Jimmie Edwards and former judges like Susan Block have resisted throwing our children to the wolves. In the tragic killing of 13-year-old Alexus Purrty, Judge Edwards decided against certifying her young killer as an adult. Judge Edwards chose a path of rehabilitation for the youth instead of punishment, believing that society had failed the adolescent child. He was absolutely correct when he said that putting a child in a cell with a 220-pound career criminal was not a justifiable remedy.
Cases like that of Sherman Burnett beg for a more humane approach appropriate for troubled youth who have not received much-needed services. At 13 years old, an adult-certified Burnett became the youngest inmate ever housed at the St. Louis County Jail. He was recently sentenced to 60 years for a vicious sexual attack on his six-year-old neighbor.
Despite the plea for mercy by the mother of St. Louis police officer Norvelle Brown, the 15-year-old who killed her son was also certified as an adult.
These are examples as to why Missouri’s trend of certification of black children has increased in the face of a precipitous drop nationally in certifications. A more promising approach is the Neighborhood Accountability Program where youthful offenders must face their neighborhoods and accept their wisdom and punishment.
Criminalizing baggy pants is no solution, either; it only increases the likelihood of young black males becoming a target of police profiling and has never been a real indicator of criminal behavior.
Wish #5: Our youth will feel valued and wanted.
Young people will judge our actions and respond accordingly. There is a wealth of knowledge about proactive child-rearing and youth development for a civil society. Let’s start modeling the behavior of responsible and empowered adults so that our youth have a realistic idea of what our expectations are for them. Only then can we be assured that our children will genuinely grow into healthy and caring citizens.
We need to get acquainted with the youth of this generation and stop comparing them to the children of the 1950’s and 60’s. The external forces that exist now are both toxic and intoxicating. As the village, we have to better understand their impact on our children if we are to create a tougher armor that resists the temptations or at least questions them. The adults in the society must be prepared to do our part before we try to hold our children accountable. When we can assure that each child gets their educational, social, emotional and physical needs met, I guarantee you will get a sea change that has a profound impact on our city and for generations to come.