IN OUR SCHOOLS
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Armed and Dangerous?
Gun-Related Deaths of Black Youths at Record Number
I
1U RICHARD L WILLIAMS
htontcU- Managing F-'ditor
More and more young African
unericanx are being killed by guns,
'orcing the death rate of all 15- to
'9-year-olds to climb to the highest
ver recorded in this country,
.\ccOrding to a federal government
? "P<)rt.
Among people in that age
?rogp. and in the age group 20 to
'4. rearms are involved in one of
?vers lour deaths, the National Cen
ter 1<>r Health Statistics recently
?e ported. Firearms are involved in
more deaths than all natural causes
?omMined. the report said. Only
moto? vehicle accidents cause more
deaths.
f "Something has to be done,"
said Rep. Annie Brown Kennedy of
Winston-Salem, who represents the
66th district in the General Assem
bly. "We are just living in such a
violent society. We have got to find
a way to change the whole attitude
of people."
The NCHS began tracking
firearm deaths in the 1960s.
Nearly 4.200 teen-agers died in
1990 by guns in either homicides,
suicides or accidents, the report
said. In 1985. the figure was 2.500.
The rate rose 77 percent among all
those age 15 to 19 from 1985 to
1990. Even among the very young,
guns were involved in a rising num
ber of deaths. For black males age
10 to 14, the rate more than doubled
over that period. And for all black
teen-age males, the firearm homi
cide rate nearly tripled over that
period.
From L988 to 1990, 60 percent
of deaths of black teen-age males
was caused by guns, compared with
23 percent among white teen-age
males.
? 'Although the figures were the
highest iniarge cities like Washing
ton, Los Angeles and Detroit, gun
related deaths among teen-agers
also are increasing in small cities,
the report said.
"Unless there can be something
done that^gan change what's happen
ing to young black males, they are
going to become an endangered
species," said Larry Womble. a city
alderman from the southeast ward.
"It's very critical."
Womble said churches could do
more to involve youths in activities,
and parents have to begin nurturing
black children "from the cradle."
The Rev. Seth O. Lartey, told
his congregation at Goler Memorial
A.M.E. ?ion Church last Sunday,
that one reason blacks are killing
each other in record numbers is
because African Americans do not
have a positive sense of who they
are.
He said "to be black" has been
portrayed by the media as some
thing negative, thus creating self
hate attitudes among many of them.
White male
Black male
( e?ne' l.?r I'isf.ivf Cownil jtiil Prevention
A Liaison Officer Who Has Been There
H\ MARK K MOSS
( 'itfvm . A Staff Writer
The principle that William C.
Capets believes jn can be summed
up in the saying he likes to repeat:
It v hard to tell me where I'm going'
it von don't know where I came
from;
? As oik of the 17 liaison offi
cers with the Winston
Salem; Forsyth Co.u.nty schools,
CapeTs knows where the students
have Iven. and therefore feels con
1 1 d e : in Hi> ability to get them
goii; ?? n 1 1 ? right direction.
? 1 grew up in the Kimberly
promts, and I've had my share of
fights.- said Capers, who is a cor
poral m the lorsyth County Sherif
Department, which provides
off iters for the school system. "But
I hyd strong parental guidance.
Wtrein we left the projects, we
movtfd to Green way Avenue, which
;it \\u: time was moving up. . . I
never forgot where I came from."
Capers has been the liaison
officer the past six years at Inde
pendence Mich School and with the
sheriffs department for 10 years.
Independence is part of the school
$tem's alternative education pro
tir^m for students who have been
[led from mainstream schools.
* I think more of the students
here than 1 do in the regular nigh
schools," he said this week while
patrolling school grounds. "These
students have been expelled or
they're under court order. They
need special help. You know
exactly what to expect from them."
c* ,
Said Clarence McKee. Inde
pendence assistant principal: "He's
an advocate for the kids^ HejiJiieiL
counselor, th-eir father, their
teacher. They don't come an\ better
than him."
Capers, one of the liaison pro
gram's three supervisors, signed on
with the program because he has "a
great love for kids, especially
minority kids. I think they need that
extra push."
The unit's primary function, he
explained, is not to arrest kids, but
try to keep them in school. Coun
seling students is a major part of the
produced figures that showed that
counseling. sessions with students
had increased significantly over a
three-year period, while arrest fig
ures have decreased just as dramati
cally for the same period of time.
"More and more kids are start
ing to come to us," he said.
"They're trusting us more. Kids
themselves are turning kids in."
Usually, he said, when a
William P. Capers
weapon, particularly a gun. is dis
covered. it's because a student has
told a school official. And most of
the guns that Capers has found
aren't loaded, because bringing
them to school has become a "fad."
something to show off. Capers said.
Capers told the story of the student
who he caught with a marijuana
cigarette. The student wasn't deal
ing drugs but was using them, so*
Capers felt he deserved a second
chance. He called the student's
mother, who. as it turned out.
showed little concern about what
happened to her son.
"1 was more disturbed with her
than I was with him.'' he said.
The child was sent to a drug
treatment program, hut because
Capers understands, the student
didn't get expelled.
Joe Clark, shown in this 1 987 file
photo , whose unorthodox
approach to eduction was depicted
in the film "Lean on Me," told
students they shouldn't use soci'
ety's problems as an excuse for
dropping out. "1 know it's hard for
black Americans, but it was harder
for your great-great-grandma and
your great-great-grandpa who
worked from can't see momin' till
can't-see night," the former prin
cipal told about 120 youngsters at
an Indianapolis youth rally Satur
day.
Guns: Ask and You'll Likely Receive
By RICHARD L. WILLIAMS Gentry said, whether you get a permit or not
Chronicle Munging Editor ? "There is a viable black market out there and Its
. always been there," fee said. "When you got an 18
Obtaming a handgun in Forsyth County requires year -old kid out there dealing dope and he'^ got a gun,
a permit from the county Sheriff s Department and a he got it illegaliy ^ ^ h** maiicef
three -day waiting period. Drug dealers themselves have to worry about get
After that, it takes little more than visiting any of ^rig ripped off, he said.
the federally licensed weapon dealers and asking for The fellow that's dealing dope on the street is
one. or several. going to have- a- gun to keep someone from robbing
. If you're not a bad guy. you can gel one," Sher- h,m and taking his money or his drags." Gentry said.
itr? Maj. Allen Gentry said. If someone has a clean Black-market guns often are stolen during house
record, they can get as many guns as they want." break-ins
Those seeking firearms must produce proof of Gentry said that when police confiscate weapons,
North Carolina residency and complete the federal usuaHy have
form pledging that they are not convicted felons. Per- high-quality guns, we keep und trade out for
sons convicted of a felony cannot obtain a permit, new fircarms M ^
Gentry said.
" - f When the department replaced its out-dated
In this state if we turn you down, we have to say revolvers with semiautomatic Clock pistols last year,
why we turned you down, he said. One gun can be traded all of their old guns and even some guns
purchased per permit, and two permits can be_ they had confiscated fhnn criminals, he said.
obtained within 24 hours. But guns are available,
Crime Rate, Fear Increase Gun Sales
The rising crime rate in North Carolina is appar
ently increasing pistol sales across the state, officials
said.
Walt Walter, president of the N.C Rifle and Pis
tol Association, said a few people are buying them for
sport, but most are buying them because tfoe> arc
"scared."
North Carolina's crime rate has increased an aver
age of just over 7 percent a year for five years, state
figures show. Also in North Carolina, a violent crime
occurs every 1 2 minutes.
President Clinton has promised that if Congress
passes the Brady Bill, he will sign it. The bill would
require buyers of pistols to undergo a background
check and wait five business days before picking up
the gun.
GOOD NEWS!
1993 REAPPRAISAL NOTICE
j " ,f C runty North Carotin*
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