USA today: Cities brace for Summer crime

There is a good, if brief, article in USA Today today (that sounds odd) about different US cities getting ready, unfortunately, for virtually inevitable upticks in Summer shootings, murders and crime. How sad. How unfortunate. It would be nice if we were better than this but it still happens, year after year. They point out, rather nicely, how different cities around the country have different programs for families, teenagers, churches and other groups in their communities, in an effort to keep down these awful statistics. Chicago seems to have it worst, nationally: At least 26 people were shot here last weekend. The previous weekend, more than 50 people were shot and at least 10 died. Horrible. But check it out--at least they're trying to do something about it: "We're in a very vulnerable and crazy time, and we're just beginning summer," says Mike Pfleger, a Catholic priest whose church, St. Sabina, is among 40 Chicago churches serving as safe havens this summer. From July 6 through Aug. 6, the churches will provide meals, activities and mentors to 5- to 17-year-old youngsters six days a week to try to build "a culture of calm." And the article showed that, from city to city, from Dayton, Ohio to Boston, to Kalamazoo and little Newburgh, New York, the cities and community groups were organizing to try to do things to help keep the murder rates and shootings and other crimes down. So naturally, for me, it circled back to Kansas City and I just have to try, here, one more time by asking WHY ISN'T THE MAYOR, CITY HALL, THE CITY COUNCIL AND OUR CHURCH AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS TRYING TO ORGANIZE BETTER, COLLECTIVELY, TO KEEP OUR MURDER AND CRIME RATES DOWN, HERE IN KANSAS CITY?? Why, people? Link to original article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-06-30-summer-violence_N.htm