More Community Collaboration for Kids in the D.C. Area

Strings of broad daylight and overnight crimes have raised question among violent acts. Fox 5, NBC 4, ABC 7 and WMTV 9 television stations run consistent reports of teen violence that lurks in our streets. Perhaps there are too few activities for children of younger ages to get involved with in this area.

There are far more opportunities for solitary confinement than actual positive reinforcement centers for our children in this area. Prisons run full year around. Local community centers are only open a seasonal, contract, priced, or membership basis. As a result, there are far few opportunities for children to engage in positive activities. With school in tact five days a week, there's barely any room for kids to catch a breather. In addition, with tighter curfew laws in effect this offers less opportunity for kids to get involved with something positive.

During the course of the 2006 summer year, reporters & police officials have offered every possible solution to shut down these kids. Curfews attached with fines, more juvenile centers, pepper-spray, more ammunition, but nothing about building more recreational centers. We've heard nothing about extending recreational center hours and hiring staff that can sustain that schedule. Perhaps if government officials and city council were more instrumental about these ideas we could reduce crime.

What about offering sports? Sports are always a positive outlet for kids in the communities who stay in the streets. Especially the much more physically active crowd, perhaps that can be option. By collaborating the youth and encouraging them to participate in sporting activities, maybe someday we can be proud to raise the kids of tomorrow's top athletes. This county in particular is notorious for housing delinquents who in turn have no recreation other than what they create.

There's not enough community collaboration. Parents and neighbors have become bitter rivals and in addition kids have followed the same path. There needs to be more opportunity for kids to explore their originalities and talents. Many kids that run the streets today aren't just untalented monsters, several of them need better direction and guidance; perhaps another idea can be that parents can begin encouraging their kids to become more actively involved at a younger age. These kids are talented and have dreams just the same as we do. But the society we provide for them is making it virtually impossible for them to get anything started. It's our fault, not enough of us are taking the responsibility.

Kids need opportunities to become more active in their lives. Frequent vacationing is a good idea; allowing kids to enjoy different areas of life and have a chance to see what the world offers. It's just the little things that we can do to expand our horizons and keep our kids off the streets. Solitary confinement doesn't offer this. Instead, it offers our kids the chance to rot away in prison cells without any productivity for a number of years. Not to mention, when they return home they usually are in a much worst state. But sadly, most of these kids really don't have a home. When you factor in how many unfit parents abuse and neglect their kids the way they do. Without anyone close to trust, many of them turn to the streets for relief. But what they wind up doing is getting in trouble and we blame them for not being responsible.

Were the ones not responsible, so concerned about our crummy careers and societal status that we fail to recognize we were once kids too. Now were just individuals, with only one straightforward direction and no rearview mirror to look back.