Such a thoughtful piece.

I spent my high school years (early 1970s) in New Orleans. Neighborhood violence was all around where I lived in the suburbs.

Now I live in Jacksonville, FL. When we watch the morning news there has always been at least one shooting, you know, "in that part of town" overnight.

Nobody talks about solutions in our city government. The communities that are being so negatively impacted aren't served. Poverty is rampant. Charter schools are sucking away funding for public schools.

It's heartbreaking to see so many young people die before they have a clue of how they want their lives to be.