Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Stop the violence

Photo collage at left by Traci Fant. I am behind Gregg in the upper right photo.





Thursday's radio show, with activist Traci Fant, was so intense, I honestly didn't know how to write about it.

I felt that we were finally doing the important work, telling the crucial stories that need to be told. I heartily recommend the show, which is downloadable at the link, above.

Our show was titled "Stopping Violence in upstate South Carolina" and I was deeply honored to be included. Our guests included anti-violence activists Al Harris and Taurice Bussey, as well as Karl Daniel of our local Empowerment Zone, which hosts the upstate's landmark Voices Against Violence event every year. As I said, very intense, very personal.

And today, we hear that another violent episode has happened, another school shooting in Roswell, NM. Middle school, this time.

I began today's radio show by asking, what is happening?

It seems to be the boys who have no role models, no one to care about them.

~*~

I would like to ask the Men's Rights Activists to stop fussing at feminists and posting their endless quarrels online, and put their money where their mouth is: find a young male without a role model and take him under your wing. Teach him what you know. Instead of MRAs getting all worked up over females, how about doing something for the males?

Obviously, they need you.

To the Christians: do as Karl Daniel is doing, and reach out to the youth who need a father-figure. Leave the politics alone, and worry about the boys instead.

Share your money, power and privilege. Try to make a difference in their lives.

To the Republicans: stop obsessing over guns, and instead, start obsessing over why these young men feel they need to act out in this way.

Do SOMETHING instead of blaming others.

~*~

PS: Shout out to our new sponsor YELLOW MAMA MUSIC! (Whilst shopping for musical instruments at Yellow Mama, you can also pick up a copy of radio-show guest author David Kouvek's book THE PENDULUM.)

*More photos of our participants at my Flickr page.