I won’t elaborate on the shootings in downtown Indianapolis last night but I’ll hit the key points of my thoughts:

• First, check out Abdul Hakim-Shabazz’s Second Saturday Night Special post.  I echo what he’s saying.
• Parents: for those of you whose children were misbehaving last night, what in the world are you doing and teaching your children? And where were you?
• Leaders: where were you on this one?  You think a kid getting beat down for not respecting and listening to the authorities is a travesty and wonder why this sort of thing happens.  I’m not saying that cops should necessarily go out beating people down, but just think about the message that you’re sending to the youth and the community by asserting that you don’t need to respect authority.  This is what that mindset leads to.
• Girls: stop dressing like “street workers” & fighting with each other in the streets! Respect yourselves first and foremost and control yourselves.  Whatever you’re after and upset about isn’t worth it. (Back to the parents.)
• Boys: pull up your freaking pants! I watched live coverage of kids trying to run away from the shootings and there were a handful of you not getting anywhere fast as you’re holding your pants up. I thought the “prison draws” were a fad back when I was in school, but I guess that I was wrong.  Come on fellas.  I’m not saying to wear slacks all of the time, but you can at least do functional baggy in something your size. (Back to the parents.)
• Morons with guns: I’m glad that you’re a horrible shot, but:
  1. where did you get your guns?
  2. are you even old enough to have a gun?
  3. what made you think it was a good idea to bring guns along?
  4. what made you think it was a good idea to start shooting people?
• IMPD & Mayor Ballard: You did the best job you could be expected to and you were on top of.  There were ample officers and no one should expect you to control the stupid actions of a select few.

That said, let me know your thoughts, agree or disagree via comment or voicemail at 317-565-4250.  And keep it civil.

Via WISH TV 8…

Word of the pregnancy pact comes from the principal of Gloucester High School. Joseph Sullivan tells Time magazine in a story published this week that the girls confessed to making the pact after the school began investigating. Seventeen girls there are pregnant, and Sullivan says nearly half were involved in the pact — none more than 16 years old.

This truly bothers me on so many levels.

First, say the “pact” is true, why in the world would you think that’s a good idea?  Teenagers girls seem to have more, how to phrase it, emotional/self-esteem issues than most teenage boys do (from what you can “see”).  But come on, this is just ludicrous and I hope that it is untrue.

Second, and just as disturbing, is the mere fact of so many pregnancies in one high school.  That is just baffling.  I went to an “inner-city” (a.k.a. “urban”) high school with a few thousand students and there were only a handful each year (which is still too many IMO).

Anyway, I’m floored and am just scratching my head as this is outright crazy.  I thought that normal kids these days rebelled by piercing something, dying their hair and wearing certain clothing.  I thought that we as adults (parents, relatives, etc) were educating the younger generations about the dangers of sex, drugs, tobacco and alcohol.  But maybe I’m wrong?  I just pray that I do a half-way decent job parenting my children so that they know that dear old dad isn’t being mean or trying to thwart their fun, but to instead protect them.