America Has Its Own Child Soldiers (Part 2 of a series on youth violence)

On foot, I zigzag through the Mission District every time I enter and exit the area. I believe it’s an important survival tactic never to walk in predictable patterns in urban areas. It’s a great way to learn a lot about the hood, and more importantly, get a deeper feel for the reality on the streets. I’m nobody important walking the streets, but you don’t have to be anybody to catch bullets or blades in the Bay Area.

After settling into work, I opened the San Francisco Examiner and saw another shining example of why our children are so traumatized by a vicious climate of violence. Every day it appears to get more and more heartless. A 17-year-old boy was shot after getting into an argument with a man on a bus. The boy got off to avoid conflict and was apparently fired at by a shooter who stood on the bottom step of the bus.

FULL ARTICLE BY ADISA BANJOKO