Is this really home? By Daniela Zepeda

Daniela Zepeda

Is this really home?

You hear about it all the time, in the news or the radio, a young boy was shot… mother wipes for her baby’s death… but you think to yourself “ that won’t happen to me.”

Dozens of homicides and about 80 percent are gang related. From month year old babies to teens who are being shot daily from a bullet that could have been prevented.

Is home really a home when your love one is gone? Think about it, can you really call a place home when you can’t even walk around your block without having the fear of getting shot? It’s the reason why so many families have been separated from their loved ones.

The quote “Don’t shot, I want to grow up,” is an example of how many gang related shootings involve an innocent child who was maybe on his way to school. A child that could have still been here and perhaps be able to graduate from 8^th grade.

In Chicago, according to ABC News there are 100,000 gang members but only 12,000 cops. Just in 2015 alone, since October 18, there are 419 homicides, more than the US soldiers in Afghanistan of 259 homicides. The murder rate in Chicago is 4 times higher than NYC and more than 2.5 times higher than Las Angeles.

Jonylah Watkins, a 6 month year old baby was shot on March 11, 2013 while her Dad, Jonathon Watkins, was changing his baby’s diaper in the passenger’s seat. Jonylah had 5 gunshot wounds and her dad suffered from several other gunshot wounds, but Jonylah died just a day later. Nine months to bring her in this world and 6 months for someone to open fire and take the life of an innocent.

How many more deaths does it take so Chicago can open up their eyes and do something about it. Nevertheless, it wasn’t your baby who was shot, right? And what if it was your child who died that gunshot? Its only when it happens to you when you decide to do something about it.

It’s scary to think that your children can be shot at any minutes in any place because even being in front of your house isn’t safe. But we tend to close our eyes to reality and act like it’s not our problem. It’s our home, the place you and your children grew up in and it’s definitely our problem.

We at least know one person who was shot from gang violence and died. If we don’t act now your son/ daughter could be the next victim on the news who has been reported dead from a gunshot. Like Dr. Sues ones said “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”