Dear Editor:
Several months ago in Pittsburgh, a 17-year-old youth was gunned down in his front yard while waiting for his Mom to drive him to school. His Mom rushed to his side, but was unable to resuscitate him. On another occasion, one-year-old toddler – Baby Marcus, was caught in a crossfire and killed at a community picnic. Hundreds of by-standers were in the crowd and someone saw the perpetrator but, the crime remains unsolved. Sadly, witnesses fear retaliation and are reluctant to report crimes even when bomb threats are phoned into local schools. On too many days, school administrators are forced to discharge students out of concern for their safety resulting in the loss of important classroom time for youth who need their education.
Although suspects in the Pittsburgh area have been identified in some of these cases, no arrests have been made. Community leaders and law enforcement officials are hard-pressed to quell the violence that de-stabilizes our city neighborhoods and none of us – have all of the answers to solve these overwhelming problems. We must find a way to stop the violence in Pittsburgh and throughout the nation by individually and collectively “Changing the Culture of Violence in our communities.”
However, while the odds are nearly impossible some elected officials continue to strive to keep our communities safe and work with law enforcement to re-build trust among neighborhood residents and Representative Ed Gainey is one of those individuals. We are glad to see he was re-elected since Rep Gainey is working hard to get justice for Baby Marcus, the young man who was killed and for countess other victims. We salute his efforts to bridge the gulf between distrustful residents and law enforcement. For example, Rep. Gainey was a key leader in the “Community Day” in Homewood where he recognized Officer O’Connor, Zone 5 Commander, for his effort and dedication to seek justice for Baby Marcus. This symbolic gesture was a step in the right direction to rebuild unity and trust in a community long plagued by incidents of violence, gun shootings, and acts of police aggression.
We want Rep. Gainey, to know he doesn’t stand alone in his efforts to target violence. Our organization, Black Women for Positive Change and other community groups stand with him and other elected officials who are trying to make a difference. On the heels of last week’s important national election we offer kudos to Pennsylvania State Representative Ed Gainey and we hope other elected officials will follow his example.
Diane Powell, Chair, Pittsburgh Outreach, Black Women for Positive Change
Dr. Stephanie E. Myers, National Co-Chair, Black Women for Positive Change
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