June 8, 2010: Boston youth & violence

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON

"GREATER BOSTON," IN THE

LINE OF FIRE.

TEENAGERS SPEAK OUT ABOUT

THE VIOLENCE ON BOSTON'S

STREETS.

PLUS, THE RACE FOR

GOVERNOR.

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE JIM

CAHILL ON WHY HE'S BEEN A

LIGHTNING ROD FOR

CRITICISM.

>> Rooney: GOOD EVENING.

BOSTON'S ROUGHEST

NEIGHBORHOOD ARE USED TO

VIOLENT CRIME, BUT WITH

THE RECENT MURDERS OF TWO

14-YEAR-OLD BOYS IN THE

SHOOTING OF A 10-YEAR-OLD

GIRL, SOMETHING ESPECIALLY

GRIM SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING

THIS YEAR.

"GREATER BOSTON" RECENTLY

BROUGHT TWO TEENS TO A

FIELD'S CORNER BARBER SHOP

WHERE WE SPOKE WITH THEM

AND THE SHOP'S OWNER.

13-YEAR-OLD DEE, WHO ASKED

US NOT TO USE HIS REAL

NAME, RECENTLY LOST HIS

NAME NICOLAS DAVIS.

AND SAYS NOW HE IS AFRAID

TO WALK THROUGH HIS

NEIGHBORHOOD ALONE.

>> SOMETIMES I WALK BY

MYSELF, BUT NOW WHEN I

WALK WITH SOMEBODY RIGHT

NEAR ME, I FEEL SCARED

WALKING DOWN THE STREET BY

MYSELF.

>> Rooney: 17-YEAR-OLD

DAVID HINES IS MORE

CONFIDENT.

BUT HE'S BEEN THE VICTIM

OF VIOLENCE HIMSELF,

INCLUDING THE TIME A THIEF

STOLE HIS BAG ON THE

SUBWAY.

>> I WOULD CHASE AFTER

HIM, AND I GRABBED HIM AND

HE ACTUALLY PULLED A KNIFE

ON ME.

AND IT ACTUALLY GOT TO MY

NECK.

>> IT IS THAT KIND OF

SENSELY VIOLENCE THAT

CONCERNS BELINDA

AUGUSTINE.

>> IF HE IS NOT AT SCHOOL

OR MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY, HE

IS NOT JUST OUTSIDE.

HE IS WITH ME.

>> Rooney: THE THREE,

DEE, DAVID HINES, AND

BELINDA AUGUSTINE HAVE ONE

THING IN COMMON: THE

THREAD OF VIOLENCE IS ALL

AROUND THEM.

HOW TO CHANGE THAT OR

WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE TO

CHANGE, DEPENDS ON YOUR

PERSPECTIVE, LIKE DEE'S.

>> YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO

BE IN THE GANG, BUT THEY

MIGHT THREATEN YOU TO

JOIN.

>> Rooney: SOMETHING

DAVID HINES HAS RESISTED.

HE RUNS A CHURCH GROUP,

AND PLANS TO BE A DOCTOR.

HE SAYS SOMETIMES YOU HAVE

TO PUSH BACK.

>> YOU CAN'T BE A SOFTIE

BECAUSE YOU GET JUMPED.

AND YOU CAN'T BE A

HARD-CORE KIND OF GUY

BECAUSE YOU'LL GET INTO

FIGHTS AND AGGRAVATE

PEOPLE.

>> Rooney: IT IS A

TRICKY BALANCE, AND HINES

SAYS A LACK OF MALE ROLE

MODELS COMPOUNDS THE

PROBLEM.

>> A LOT OF TIMES YOUNG

MEN TRY TO GRAVITATE

TOWARDS OTHER YOUNG MEN

BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A

MENTOR.

WE DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY TO

LOOK AFTER US.

SO WE GRAVITATE TOWARDS

OUR FRIENDS.

GRAPH -- GRAVITATE MORE

FRIENDS ON THE STREET.

>> KIDS ARE GOING TO FIND

STUFF TO DO.

THIS IS NOT ONLY THE

ASSAULTER.

THIS IS THE VICTIM ALSO

BEING AT A BASKETBALL PARK

HANGING OUT, AND, YOU

KNOW, A SHOOTING HAPPENS.

>> Rooney: SHE PLANS TO

KEEP HER SONS OFF THE

STREET AS LONG AS SHE CAN.

>> I CAN'T STAND TO SEE

KIDS ALL SUMMER WALK

AROUND -- WALK AROUND IN

PACKS.

MY SON IS NOT ONE OF THE

KIDS THAT JUST GOES TO THE

PARK.

>> Rooney: THAT MAY SEEM

EXTREME, BUT AS KIDS LIKE

DEE KNOW FIRSTHAND, THERE

IS NO ALTERNATIVE.

>> I FELT SAFE UNTIL I

HEARD ABOUT ALL OF THESE

KILLINGS OF YOUNG TEENS.

>> Rooney: IT IS A

FEELING THAT TOO MANY IN

BOSTON KNOW ALL TOO WELL.

JOINING ME IS CHIP

GREENIDGE, AND MICHAEL

JAMES OF THE NEXUS

ALLIANCE, AN ORGANIZATION

DESIGNED TO HAVE A

POSITIVE AND SU STAINED

IMPACT ON CHILDREN.

WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Rooney: WHEN THIS

LATEST MURDER HAPPENED ON

14-YEAR-OLD NICHOLAS

DAVID, I WAS STRUCK.

I WAS STRUCK WHEN HIS

FATHER CAME FORWARD.

I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN A

VICTIM HAS HAD A FATHER

COME FORWARD.

IT IS USUALLY THE MOTHER

OR AUNT.

HE LIKENED THIS TO THE WAR

ON TERROR, AND HE SAID THE

TALIBAN.

HE SAID WE KNOW WHO THESE

GUYS ARE, WE NEED TO GO

AFTER THEM, AND WE NEED TO

ROUND THEM UP.

IT IS SORT OF A CIVIL

RIGHTS BE DAMNED ATTITUDE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT

THAT?

>> BASICALLY, I THINK HE

IS RIGHT.

WE NEED TO STEP UP AND

PROTECT OUR FAMILIES, BUT

IN A DECENT WAY.

HE NEEDS TO ENCOURAGE THE

OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY

WHO WITNESSED THAT TYPE OF

CRIME, TO STEP UP.

>> THE FAMILY OF HIS

10-YEAR-OLD GIRL SAW IT

HAPPENED AND AREN'T

TALKING.

WHY NOT?

>> THERE IS A RULE ON THE

STREET, NO SNITCHING, BUT

AT WHAT COST.

>> Rooney: THEY'RE

AFRAID THEY'RE GOING TO

DIE IF THEY DO.

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS

BEFORE.

THE ROLE MODEL ISSUE.

THIS 14-YEAR-OLD HAD A

DAD -- SOUNDS LIKE HE HAD

A DARN GOOD ROLE MODEL.

YOU LOOK AT THAT AND IT'S

HEARTBREAKING.

DAVID HINES -- I DON'T

KNOW WHAT HIS ROLE MODEL

IS -- HE HAS A MOTHER AND

FATHER SO OBVIOUSLY HE IS

GOING TO MAKE IT.

YOU LOOK AT DEE, WHO

DIDN'T WANT HIS REAL NAME

USED.

I PERSONALLY FEEL WORRIED

FOR HIM.

>> DEFINITELY.

BOSTON RIGHT NOW IS A

REALLY TRYING PLACE.

I THINK WHAT THE COMMUNITY

IS LOOKING AT, THEY'RE

LOOKING WHO TO GO TO.

SHOULD WE GO TO THE MAYOR?

PEOPLE SAY, SHOULD I GO TO

THE GOVERNOR?

RIGHT NOW I THINK WHAT THE

ORGANIZATIONS ARE ARE

SCRAMBLING HOW DO WE

ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.

IT IS NOT ALONE GOING TO

BE SOLVED BY THE

FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY.

IT IS TIME FOR THE

COMMUNITY TO STEP UP.

AND I AGREE WITH MIKE

SAYING, THE COMMUNITIES

ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT?

WE HAVE TO START TELLING

WHO THIS IS.

THE INTERESTING THING THAT

CAME OUT IN BOSTON IS THAT

WE HAVE TOO MANY KIDS THAT

ARE OUT THERE THAT GO TO

FUNERALS MORE THAN THEY GO

TO GRADUATIONS.

THAT'S THE THIRD

14-YEAR-OLD, AND THERE HAS

BEEN A 17-YEAR-OLD.

SEVEN OF THEM WERE 22, AND

A BUNCH OF THEM WERE 23

AND 24.

THEY WERE PROBABLY KIDS IN

A JUVENILE FACILITY, AND

CAME OUT AND GOT RIGHT

BACK INTO SOME KIND OF

STREET CRIME.

I POINT-BLANK ASK BOTH OF

YOU?

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING IN

THE BLACK COMMUNITY?

I'VE BEEN HAVING THIS

DISCUSSION SINCE I MOVED

TO BOSTON IN THE '70s.

WHY IS IT THERE.

I BELIEVE THERE IS A

SERIES OF REASONS WHY THIS

IS HAPPENING NOW.

ONE, I THINK A LOT OF

PEOPLE HAVE LOST HOPE.

THEY BASICALLY ARE

SOMEWHAT IN A STATE OF

P.D. S.D.

THEY DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT

THEMSELVES, THEIR LIFE

CIRCUMSTANCES, AND SO

THEY'RE ANGRY.

AND IF THEY'RE ANGRY,

BASICALLY THEY'RE MORE

THAN LIKELY WILLING TO NOT

ONLY STRIKE OUT, THEY

DON'T CARE ABOUT

THEMSELVES, HOW CAN THEY

CARE ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE.

WHAT THEY NEED TO THINK IS

TEACHING THEM OTHER WAYS,

TEACHING CRITICAL SKILLS.

>> I ACTUALLY DID SERVE AT

THE MOST FUNERAL OF DUJUAN

MARTIN.

2,000 PEOPLE THAT WERE

THERE, HALF OF THE PEOPLE,

AND IT WAS FACILITATED BY

MY PASTOR, AND HALF OF

THEM WITH CHILDREN WERE

YOUNG PEOPLE.

AND THEY WERE REALLY HURT.

I DIDN'T SEE AS MANY

PEOPLE REACHING OUT AFTER

THE SERVICE TO DO

SOMETHING WITH THEM TO

ENGAGE AND HELP THEM WITH

THEIR PAIN.

MY PASTOR ASKED THE WHOLE

CONGREGATION, EVERYONE

THAT WAS THERE, WHAT ARE

YOU GOING TO DO TOMORROW?

AND I DIDN'T HEAR A

RESPONSE.

>> I REALLY WANT TO PUSH

THE PIECE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE

SEEING NOW ARE SYMPTOMS OF

STUFF THAT HAS HAPPENED IN

THE '80s.

THE STIMULUS PACKAGE TO

GET OUR ECONOMY RIGHT WAS

NOT DIRECTED TOWARDS THE

AFRICAN-AMERICAN

COMMUNITIES.

AND THE THING THAT WAS

GIVEN TO US IS SOMETHING

CALLED THE CRACK COCAINE.

THAT WAS THE STIMULUS

PACKAGE WE GOT.

THEY'RE INSTANT JOBS TO

THE KIDS.

AND IT HAS DESTROYED THE

FUNDAMENTAL FABRIC OF THE

BLACK COMMUNITY.

WE'RE DEALING WITH ALL OF

THOSE SYMPTOMS NOW.

THESE ARE THE KIDS OF

THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE

INVOLVED IN THAT WHOLE

THING.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO

LOOK AT THE SYMPTOMS AND

ALSO UNDERSTAND WHY ARE WE

HERE TODAY?

>> Rooney: WE'VE BEEN

TALKING FOR DECADES ABOUT

PROGRAMS AND FEDERAL FUNDS

AND STATE MONIES.

IT IS BEYOND THAT.

I LISTENED TO BELINDA

AUGUSTINE -- WE HAVE TO

GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO.

THE KIDS -- THOSE AREN'T

THE ONCE, UNLESS YOUR AN

INNOCENT BY-STANDER.

IT CAN'T BE JUST PROGRAM

AFTER PROGRAM.

THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT

THERE ROAMING THE STREETS

AREN'T GOING TO GO TO THE

PROGRAMS.

>> TRUE.

I DO SENSE THAT THERE ARE

SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT

WOULD BENEFIT FROM

PROGRAMS, BUT IT'S

REALLY --

>> THAT'S THE POINT.

WHAT KIND OF PROGRAM.

IS IT JUST SOMETHING WHERE

YOU SHOW UP, YOU ATTEND

AND YOU FEEL GOOD AND YOU

LEAVE AND GO BACK TO YOUR

DAY TO DAY?

OR DOES IT TEACH YOU A

SKILL TO HELP PROPEL

YOURSELF TO THE NEXT LEVEL

AND BREAK THAT CYCLE.

ONE THING WE'RE PLANNING

TO DO IN RESPONSE TO SOME

OF THIS VIOLENCE GOING ON,

WE'RE HOSTING A DAY OF

PEACE ON JUNE 19th OVER

AT THE -- AT GREATER LOVE

TABERNACLE, AND IT HOSTS,

ONE, A BIKE RIDE FOR

PEACE.

LAST YEAR WE CONDUCTED IT

AND HAD OVER 100 MEN RIDE

IN UNISON, AND WE HAD OVER

500 PEOPLE IN TOTAL

EXTEND.

THIS YEAR WE'LL HAVE A

FILM, AND A BIG PEACE

RALLY.

>> Rooney: STILL, YOU

SPOKE TO SOMETHING, AND I

HAVE TO WRAP IT UP IN A

SECOND -- BUT IT IS ALL

ABOUT OUTRAGE.

IF THIS WERE HAPPENING IN

BEACON HILL OR WELLESLEY,

THERE WOULD BE A HUGE

OUTRAGE FROM THE

COMMUNITY.

THERE IS A MALAISE IN THE

COMMUNITY.

PEOPLE GET MAD, BUT IT'S

NOT A CONTINUUM.

>> BACK IN THE '80s,

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP,

THERE WAS A LARGE GROUP

THAT WE HAD OF COMMUNITY

LEADERS THAT WERE OUT

THERE.

CIVIC LEADERS.

MELANIE PASS, TORI BROWN,

JUANITA WADE, AND MANY

THAT HAVE JUST PASSED THIS

YEAR.

WE HAD THE HEAD GUY AT THE

A.B.C. D.

AND SO THE REPLENISHING OF

THAT STOCK HASN'T

HAPPENED.

AND THE BLACK COMMUNITIES

THAT ARE OUT THERE -- MANY

OF THEM HAVE CLOSED OR ARE

IN THE PROCESS OF CLOSING

DUE TO THE ECONOMY.

SO THAT INFRASTRUCTURE

THAT WAS THERE HAS BEEN

ELIMINATED.

AND SO THERE ARE NO SAFE

PLACES TO GO.

>> Rooney: I HOPE WE'RE

NOT GOING TO BE HAVING

THIS DISCUSSION FOR YEARS

TO COME.

CHIP GREENIDGE, THANK YOU

SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Rooney: WHEN WE

CONTINUE, TIM CAHILL AND

THE RAISE FOR GOVERNOR.

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HEAVEN.

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