Death Becomes Oakland

I am so sick of the death and poverty in Oakland,Ca. Every other day someone tries to settle a dispute or gain retribution through a gun. The gun is a powerful weapon because it ends lives, leaves families in mourning, inadvertently hits the wrong target, and keeps minorities in jail.

My community is plagued by violence, despair, drugs, illiteracy and utter hopelessness. I see so many brothers and sisters from young to old wasting their lives away hanging out on the block. Why are they hanging out on the block? Some of these individuals have a record and cannot get a job;some feel squeezed out by lack of community resources;some are seduced by fast money and can't imagine working a minima wage job when the drug trade is lucrative; some are hit by hard times; some have no mother are father figure and some don't give a care.

I recall being on the AC transit bus in Oakland, the number 82 bus, matter of fact. I was shocked hearing these young girls talking about their boyfriends being in jail. These young girls were under fifteen and lamenting about their boyfriend being locked up in the pen. Where is the innocence of childhood? Their is none when these young people are witnessing murder, having sex without the sanctity of marriage, producing children that the government will unwittingly support ,and accept their victim status that society has branded on their foreheads.

As I peruse the Oakland Tribune and look at story after story of homicide victim........I sigh in despair and pray that it isn't anyone that I know. Then again,whether I know the victim or not,I am sad for the families and lives gone too soon. Yes, Death becomes Oakland the body count keeps climbing.