Audio clip
James Moreland
East Chattanooga Weed and Seed officials expect to receive $25,000 to $30,000 to deter community youths from gun violence.
“It’s aimed at the youth and teaching them to become good citizens, to not get involved in criminal activity,” said Vivian Hixson, interim site director for East Chattanooga Weed and Seed.
The money, a grant from the federal Project Safe Neighborhoods program, will be used to teach anti-violence classes at East Chattanooga recreation centers this summer, she said. The classes will include topics such as “The Law and You” and “How to Respond to Law Enforcement Officers.”
Ms. Hixson said the goal is to give youths so many opportunities for positive activities that they don’t have time to concern themselves with guns and gangs.
TO GET INVOLVED
East Chattanooga Weed and Seed can be reached at 648-6506.
The grant will give Weed and Seed officials more opportunity to train youth to make better life choices, said James Moreland, Weed and Seed steering committee chairman.
“This grant gives us the opportunity to train our young folks in such a way that they will be equipped to make good choices,” Mr. Moreland said.
The grant is part of a nationwide effort to reduce gun violence. Since the project began in 2001, President George W. Bush has allocated $2 billion toward Project Safe Neighborhoods. About $20 million was allocated to reduce gun violence and gang activity this year, according to the Project Safe Neighborhoods Web site.
“A teenager is more likely to die from a gunshot than from all natural causes of death combined,” President Bush wrote in a Project Safe Neighborhoods letter. “This is unacceptable in America. For our children’s sake, this nation must reclaim our neighborhoods and streets.”
East Chattanooga officials reported 46 firearms arrests within the first 10 months of 2008 and 41 drug-related arrests involving teenagers in the Weed and Seed area.
Deja McDuffie, 11, is among several youths from East Chattanooga who drew anti-gang and gun posters to promote non-violence. However, she questions how effective the posters will be to deter violence.
“It helps a little,” she said. “But some kids just do what grownups do. I don’t think the grownups will stop using (guns).”
Memorial Hospital will display the posters in January, officials said.
Aronnae McReynolds said if youth get involved in positive activities such as creating the posters, they may be distracted from destructive activity.
“It (a gun) destroys your life, and it’s a waste of time,” said Aronnae, 16.
“You could take a life for no reason,” her 14-year-old sister Ajai said.
Yolanda Putman has been a reporter at the Times Free Press for 11 years. She covers housing and previously covered education and crime. Yolanda is a Chattanooga native who has a master’s degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Alabama State University. She previously worked at the Lima (Ohio) News. She enjoys running, reading and writing and is the mother of one son, Tyreese. She has also ...
"'A teenager is more likely to die from a gunshot than from all natural causes of death combined,' President Bush wrote in a Project Safe Neighborhoods letter."
Good to see that Bush's IQ is still in a stable coma.
Tell us, what is a NATURAL cause of death for a teenager?
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