Excerpt from "Dark Sonshine"

Recently two kids were shot in Memphis. One was 11 and the other was 4. Sadly, the 11 year old died. They were caught in a crossfire at 11:30 pm and the 11 year old became the latest homicide statistic so far. It seems we're on a record pace again. And the all too familiar cry went up "We Gon'Take Our Streets Back!" Now I'm going to ask a silly question in light of this dark situation, "haven't we had a 10:00 pm curfew for years?" I won't belabor that point because that is not the purpose of this writing.

It seems the senseless violence and killing is not going to stop until there is no one left to kill. Is anyone familiar with self genocide? What do the predators do when all the prey is gone? The level of violence that is permeating our city is intolerable. What can be done? A local dj said "Mother's need to cry." "Any child, no matter how old will respond to his mamas tears." I thought that sounded crazy ass hell too, until I thought about it. Everyone had a mother and most of us tried our best to please her. If every mother in this city went to her child, no matter how old, asked him/her to straighten up and shed one sincere tear for life, there would be a lot less sincere tears shed for death. Every time a child dies, a parent cries. We all should be tired of crying by now!

This madness has to stop and stop now! We, as parents have got to stop catering to our children's whims. We've got to stop allowing them to look, talk and act as foolish as they want. Hasn't the grown and gone "I don't know where and I don't care" attitude played itself out yet? Someone's child is committing all these horrendous acts of self-destruction. These kids didn't just spring up out of nowhere. Everyone is someone's child.

Back in the day there was a little ad that came on nightly, "IT'S 10 pm, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR KIDS ARE?" Today, it seems few parents can answer that question truthfully. What is going on with our kids? Isn't that someone's child in the mall at 2am? Isn't that someone's child cruising downtown at 3am. Isn't that someone's child on Beale St at 4am? Mama "We Gon' Take Our Streets Back," but really, wouldn't you rather shed "one tear" for life than 100 for death.