Where is CeaseFire and their intervention efforts in situations like this?

Garrard I think that it is sad that our children are not safe in their own community. I thought we were done with the gang intiation thing until one of my girlfriends told me that her son was shot because somebody asked them what gang they were in and he said that they were not on that.
What is really going on out here? I am at a lost of words. Just sad. Really sad.

Garrard, the corrective process for saving our youth is not complicated. We are living in perilous times with no foreseeable vision of change until our young people are once again raised by the entire village, including the churches.

Once upon a time when the villages raised our children, societal flaws were compensated with love, universal supervision and a caring group of adults who realized the consequences of young people not receiving the necessary love and attention required for them to develop into God fearing citizens.

That compensation is the necessary component that is essential to adequately monitor our young children at all times. No exceptions! No deviations!
There is no way around it.

Our young people are virtually raising themselves with the assistance of corrupt thoughts from graphic and sexually explicit videos, and subliminally conveyed messages being sent via the music they listens to with no supervision.

Considering the graphic videos and mind altering music our young people are constantly exposed to, why are we surprised about the prevalence of crimes being inflicted upon us?

Garrard, somehow we must disspell this "I don't wanna be a snitch" mentality in our community. Of course someone saw something and of course someone knows who did it.

Sadly, though there are those in the African American community that don't see any difference between our problems and the problems in other communities, we have a considerably different set of self inflicted issues than other groups.

Self accountability is what President Elect Barack Obama was talking about when he spoke at a Chicago church and people in our neighborhood got mad as though he didn't have a valid point. Chicago's murder rate is the highest in the Country with the Black community at the head of those figures.

Until we admit that we particularly have a problem (the rule of battling addictions) we will never fix it!

Ihave said this time and time again.Home, Family and the Community has to be taught in public schools. A lot of underprivilaged kids are not being taught the basic values, respect, morals, dicipline that is learned in funtional homes.We can no longer depend on the parent(s) of these kids to raise their children properly.We have to demand a curriculum of such in public schools!I know how to get this curriculum started but I will need some help.Please let me know if you are interested.

I THINK THAT THESE PARENTS NEED TO STOP PLAYING THE BIG BROTHER AND SISTER ROLE WITH THEIR KIDS.THESE PARENTS NEED TO START BACK BECOMING PARENTS AND MOTIVATIONAL TOOLS.PARENTS TODAY ACT AS STREET FRIENDS,NOT PARENTAL FRIENDS.WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS PARENTS TODAY SMOKE WEED WIT THEIR KIDS,GO TO CLUBS,ACCEPT THEM TO DRINK ACHOHOL AROUND THEM.WHATS NEEDED IS PTA MEETINGS,AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS SUCH AS:MUSIC,BOARDGAMES,MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS,SPORTS ACTIVITIES,ETC.I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS COMING UP WE HAD TRUANCEY AND VOLUNTARY OFFICERS TO COME TO OUR HOMES WHEN WE WERE ABSENT FROM SCHOOL.WE NEED THAT BACK!.ALSO,THESE SCHOOLS THAT THEY SPENT MONEY ON BUILDING IN THESE COMMUNITIES SUCH AS:CLAREMONT ACADEMY,THE NEW SCHOOL ON 67TH WOODS.THESE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE USED AS AFTER SCHOOL YOUTH CENTERS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A BOYS CLUB OR A YMCA IN THE AREA.I TRUTHFULLY THINK THAT IF THE KIDS DONT ATTEND SCHOOL AND GET CAUGHT ON THE STREET.THE PARENTS SHOULD SERVE 2DAYS IN JAIL AND PAY FINE OF 150 DOLLARS.KIDS CAUGHT ON A CORNER SELLING DRUGS OR USING 500 DOLLAR FINE AND WEEK IN JAIL.KID SERVE COMMUNITY SERVICE.NOT SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED PARENTS SPEND ANOTHER 2DAYS IN JAIL.IM 29YRS OF AGE.NEVER SEEN SO MUCH BLACK ON BLACK CHAOS

Hello, I agree that communities must work together. Saying that movies and music have an influence over our children is basically a cop out. Movies and music is not the problem.

Parents, techers, clergy, society is at fault. Everyone is afraid to say anything. Not only are people afraid to snitch; people are afraid to reach out; afraid to offer assistance to one another; afraid to share with one another. We're so afraid of retribution from each other that we have become mute.

I wish I knew where to begin with this problem. But definetely parents are the front line with support from clergy, teachers and neighbors. I want my neighbors and children's teachers to tell on them. I have grown to respect the nosy neighbor. I make a point of speaking to the people in my neighborhood. We can no longer be silent. We must speak with words, and most importantly with action.

I am a strong believer in institutional racism. Chicago has too much money to allow a city of less than 3 million surpass New York in it's murder rate! There is a plan, let these criminals fill up this judicial system and kill each other...then make Chicago a "global" renaissance city! Economic recession? I can't tell by the million dollar renovations of these gentrified projects and condos spiking up everywhere. It will get worse before it gets better, in the mean time I'll be making plans to move to Des Plaines or Mount Prospect or something!

Hi Gerrard,
Although I agree with the comments made from Mark and Pearl to take it a step further I would add to that,
the people that are selling drugs and are in gangs,and are killing each other WE KNOW THEM, they are our own children,our family members and our friends. They are making Chicago The Murder Capital of the World. We are allowing them to run things. We are silent maybe because we're reaping the benefits of the money or we are afraid for our own lives or we have that I DON'T GIVE A DAM ATTITUDE! We can fix this situation, by standing UP and saying THIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED ANY LONGER AND MEAN IT. By taking whatever necessary means available short of killing but willing to be killed, because in some instances that is what is going to happen.

Hello,
we need to march down on these problem communities on a daily and weekly basis, when I say march I mean make it a city effort.In a manner where everyone wins.

Lets get out here in the schools during school hours, open all schools for after school programs,have programs where children can help clean up their own communities with the help of all of us on hand.

I feel we talk and blog about this, but we are not present out in the streets where the problems stem. I agree with all comments here,but what happens after our comments? WE MUST START SOMEWHERE. HOW MANY MORE CHILDREN CAN WATCH AND BLOG ABOUT THEIR DEATHS BEFORE WE MOVE? KING WOULD WANT US TO MOVE. GOD BLESS

I watched you show yesterday and heard the caller’s responses along with the comments posted on this site.

It clearly starts with parenting and acknowledging that some lack parenting skills. There seems to be a consensus that the church and clergy need to take over but when you drive through most of these areas that have high crime rates (Englewood) they are saturated with churches.

We can all hold hands and pray, have vigils, light candles and sing kumbaya but if you do not call police about a crime you see happening, tell the police about something someone told you concerning a crime or you go along with the crime because it's something in it for you, then you're the problem.

Most people know enough about criminal activity to know that their neighbor is selling drugs or are involved in gangs and killings. The part that they don't know is that a criminally minded person will do anything to anyone when cornered.

Some African Americans are fearful of outside help and that tendency leads back to saying the clergy and churches have to step in. That's not the answer because the church is there and so is the crime. The outside help that is needed to break this cycle is Psychological help. The help that is unfortunately taboo among us, the stuff we don't and won't seek out. The types of help that will get to the root of the problem and help people find the solution within themselves. We need to stop the band-aid type of help and get permanent life changing help. We have to teach people to stop blaming the outside for the self-imposed prison that has developed in these communities.

The concept that it takes a village to raise a child was reinforcement of what your parents taught you. The bottom line is that the village cannot teach your child something that is not reinforced at home. To top it off, if the village is in cahoots with the criminals, then the cycle is repeated.

I'm not against the ministers and churches but they are not the answer, the church agenda and community agenda/needs are often different. The time and effort spent on vigils could be better used in pointing out the criminals. The criminals/gangs are so protected by the neighborhood that they'll join in the prayer vigils.

I would love to talk more on this topic and I fully understand that it takes more than talk. We have to do something and hold people accountable.

I don't think It's a popularity contest, however, I believe that if a celebrity has a tragedy, that particular incident reaches more people. Do I think that the Hudson murders overshawdowed other tragedies at the time? Probably, but then again, more due to the magnitude of it being a double homocide with a child who in the beginning was assumed to be missing...not dead. Anytime a young child is involved I think there is alot more media focus. I hope that the media will continue to be fair and not sensationalize a story if there is a celebrity involved.

I whole agree with Dwight completely. People aren't raising their children anymore. Families and communities aren't raising children. Children are raising children. Most of these children do not no much if anything about GOD. Children are missing the love, attention, guidance and support they need. Communities are broken up. Its up to us as a community to fix it. We can't give up. Its true, the kids are our future. If there is no hope for these kids there is no hope for the future. Where are the role models? What ever happened to boys and girls clubs or community centers? Where do these children have to go after school? Who will help these children with their homework when some parents can't read themselves? Bottom line is people need to STOP WITH THEIR BUSY LIVES AND RAISE THESE CHILDREN. It seems like no one cares. Again I say MEN NEED TO STEP UP AND SHOW THESE YOUNG MEN HOW MEN ARE SUPPOSED TO LIVE. WOMEN NEED TO SHOW THESE YOUNG WOMEN HOW TO LIVE. Until we wake up you will continuously see a downward spiral in poverty stricken communities.

Can anyone use thier imaginative powers and see what will happen if we as a society undermine every glamourised perception of the hoodlum...the menace of society... the being intent to cheat humanity. We need to stop thinking it's not serious enough to stop the violence by any means necessary. If we can't get past the "offense" of the word we are adding to our own problems. This is how a community can police themselves...how a society can again take responsibility for its members.not by calling anyone a being intent to cheat humanity but by decreeing that there are no beings intent to cheat humanity in our society. we speak things that be not as though they were. it worked for Jesus and the Canaan woman who besought him to remove the devil from her daughter. the choice is simple
Be not offended and you will be blessed
keep being offended and you will be stressed
bodies keep dropping devils do not rest
so you might as well go on and put on that black dress
i hate to say this but nothing else will work
stop looking at prophecy as if it is a joke
devils are cast down by the word of God
we can follow his example,it's not that hard
to lift the mentality of our society...
we shine the light on the darkness
so we know what we don't want to be.
LET THERE BE LIGHT.................AMEN.

Murdock was like a brother to me and we had lots of fun together and hung out! Eveytime I seen him he would say " Sista you got a dollar?" and I regret not geting it to him because maybe it was doing something positive with it! Well its so many stories to how my brothers ended up the way they did. Whoever did this to my brithers Murdock and Quintin will soon be in a bad place. I hope the detectives found out who did this because my brothers did do bad things but, did not deserve to go so soon they had high hopes!!

Yasmine De'Kira Williams
R.I.P my brothers luv you!
You gone but, never forgotten!
P.S~ Mr. Murdock keep your head up and pray. Don't give up!! FIND OUT WHO DID THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

hi my name is kila i am 11 years old i am brian murdocks step sister.i am so upset that they had to leave off this earth in the dawn of life that is just a digrace to humanity i am speachless words cant exspress how i fill.i miss him so much and i give my condolense to the murdock family and the vivians family.this goes for the police give the person that killed them life in prison or death sentence.and this also goes to the police PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE find the person that killed them and dont give up on there case thankx!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HI MY NAME IS ANIKA CLAY IVE KNOWN QUITIN FOR A WHILE BUT BRIAN MURDOCK IS MY OLDEST BROTHER. IVE JUST TURNED TWELVE DECEMBER THE FIRST. ME ,QUINTIN ,AND MURDOCK HAD ALOT IN COMMIN .ALL OF ARE BIRTHDAYS ARE IN DECEMBER. THEY DIDNT CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY WITH ME AN NEATHER DID I OR WILL.QUINTINS BIRTHDAY IS DEC.25 AND MURDOCK IS DEC.19.I WAS VERY DISTURBED WHEN I FOUND OUT HOW MY TWO FAVORITE BROTHERS WENT OUT OF THIS WORLD.I WILL MISS THEM DEARLY.THEY HAD ALOT TO LIVE FOR AN I FEEL THAT THE POLICE SHOULD BE ON THIS CASE LIKE WHITE ON RICE.THIS IS VERY CERIOUSE BECAUSE NOW DAYS YOUNG KIDS ARE LEAVING THIER FAMILY BEHIND HEART BROKEN AND EMPTY.I FILL WHO EVER WOULD DO SUCH A THIING TOO TWO YOUNG BOYS SHOULD NOT BE ON THIS EARTH,AN I PRAY FOR THAT PERSON WHO COMMITED THIS DISASTER.I PRAY HE RECONIZED THAT HE HAS SINNED. TO MY BROTHERS I KNO U TOO ARE RESTING IN PEACE WITH MOM AND, EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE OK MURDOK THIS IS FROM BABY SIS ANIKA AKA POODA. I LOVE U STINKA FOREVER MORE AN ALWAYS WILL REMEMBER AN LOVE U AN QUINTIN DEARLY.... R.I.P FOREVER LASTING LOVE....
LOVE ANIKA AN JADA WE FEEL THE SAME.. MURDOCK IS ANIKA`S BROTHER QUINTIN IS JADA`S BROTHER.....