A passionate plea to work to stop youth violence in city

A passionate plea to workto stop youth violence in city
EDITOR:
This is for the young people who take time to read the paper, and not just the horoscope, obituaries and want ads. For the blood of Jesus, stop killing each other! What are you accomplishing? When you pick up a gun and go harm another human being, you're in a lose-lose situation. You kill that person, and now you're wanted for murder.
You eventually get caught and end up in jail for life or else get the death penalty. Or someone ends up getting you on the street before the police.
This is a cycle that needs to end. We need parents, pastors, the whole community to get together and find an answer to why young people have nothing to do but hunt each other down. There needs to be an outlet for them besides murder.
No, I won't blame the problem on Youngstown's mayor because no matter if it were former mayors Patrick Ungaro or George McKelvey, if you overlook the youth in the inner city by not supplying them with something to do, the outcome will be the same.
As long as the violence stays in Youngstown and doesn't spill out into the suburbs, no one feels they have to do a thing. Hell, throw them in jail; that's the solution that they come up with -- not let's get to the core of the problem before it escalates.
We need to find out why these children are so numb to jail, why they feel like they have nothing to live for, and why a whole generation is becoming extinct. I go to bed at night to police sirens, ambulances, firetrucks and gun shots, and I pray that when I wake up and see the news that not another young person has been murdered.
If you're reading this and you're young, think about your future. If you're older and you're reading this, don't wait for it to happen to you or your family member.
LASHANDA CORNWELL
Youngstown
Two Salem city councilmenget criticism over taxation
EDITOR:
Clyde Brown on Salem City Council has discovered that Salem is running out of money. How interesting that the councilmen he defeated stressed that pretty strongly during the campaign, even pledging no new taxes. Justin Palmer, in his campaign for council, said he would find new revenue for Salem. Was raising taxes what the people had in mind when they elected him?
Why do these men think the taxpayer has to shoulder the blame and be made to pay for the solution?
Living within one's budget is a necessity for the taxpayer, and city council should be expected to do the same thing.
Mr. Brown and Mr. Palmer talked a good campaign; now they must serve the taxpayer with the money they have.
JANET GEMMILL
Salem
Woman recalls era whenplay time was spontaneous
EDITOR:
I opened my July 30 Parade to find yet another of those boring articles on the importance of play that seem to be cropping up everywhere. During my childhood, play was something you were vigorously involved in every day of your life. It defined you.
At school there was daily recess. I can still remember our jump rope rhymes.
There were some organized after-school activities, such as Little League, but spontaneous play activities were still the norm.
But it was in the summertime -- those three glorious, lazy, laid-back, care-free months when play time was at its height.
Kids don't play in the streets anymore. But in those days kickball, wiffle ball, and kick the can were common street games. Catching lightning bugs in a jar was popular, although why we punched holes in the lid of the jar still puzzles me. And who can forget Red Rover, Red Rover, Mother May I, and Monkey in the Middle? It was a special time to be young.
CONNIE DeTORO
Youngstown