SHOOTING AT BUS STOP

Too many guns, not enough school or civic opportunities, too great a racial divide between North and South, too many young people that don't see a good future for themselves and decide to take what power they can.  More cops aren't going to solve the problem. 

http://www.kmov.com/story/31482991/3-teenagers-shot-at-north-st-louis-bus-stop

QUESTIONS FOR SAINT LOUIS TEENS

WHAT DO YOU NEED

TO CHANGE THE WORLD?

What would you like to learn that you are not studying now? (Dance, music, acting, filmmaking, astronomy, skating, sculpture, clothing design, baking, ???)

What do you think would make school better for you?

What would make your neighbourhood better for you?

What do you need in your life that you do not have now?

Do you feel like you have a meaningful future ahead of you? If not, what do you think needs to change?

Do you feel that you have something to contribute to the world?

Do you take pride in yourself? In your school? In your community? If not, what would need to happen or change for you to feel proud?

What changes would you like to make in your life? What do you need to make those changes?

Is there anywhere in St. Louis that you would like to go that you have not been?

Anywhere in Missouri that you would like to visit? In the U.S.? In the World?

Are there enough after-school and weekend activities and venues for Teens in St. Louis?

What sort of activities or social events or clubs do you think would reduce crime and gang violence in schools and neighbourhoods?

What do you think would prevent kids from dropping out of school?

Answer these questions to yourself first. Be as detailed as you can in your answers. If you have the courage and the desire, write the answers down, or make a video or audio recording, and share them. Share them with your teacher, or an elected official, or church or community group, or Imagine a Better St Louis or similar organization.

Every great invention, all of our technology, every song, every movie, every social change, everything in human civilization began with a thought.

Don't be afraid to ask for what you need. Youth are the future, and the world looks to you for leadership. Begin shaping your world now, by communicating what you need, and by sharing your solutions to the problems in your community.

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” – Nelson Mandela

"If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities." -- Maya Angelou

If you want to print this as a leaflet and share it (it's two sided, half a page each side) 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0tAMqly6KVwT0hXYzNyVS11TG8/view?usp=sharing  

Also see this post: http://optinstl.blogspot.com/2016/03/solutions-not-cop-outs.html

SOLUTIONS NOT COP OUTS

EDIT: Please see this post, too:
 http://optinstl.blogspot.com/2016/03/questions-for-saint-louis-teens.html

Instead of more cops, the same tired, ineffective response, over and over again, how about real solutions?

There are the obvious- put money into jobs and schools, etc.

But also GO ASK THESE KIDS WHAT THEY NEED.

http://www.kmov.com/story/31428741/group-of-juveniles-assault-rob-2-men-in-central-west-end

 http://www.kmov.com/story/31431838/police-teens-responsible-for-recent-crimes-in-u-city-are-from-east-st-louis

And then ask all the other kids, too.

Don't just stop with kids, ask every single person that ends up in trouble with the law.

Is there anything you would like to be doing with your time? Is there any activities that you would want to do with your free time? (Sing, Dance, Make movies, fly a kite, run a marathon?)
What would you need to be able to do that? (A ride, lessons, a video camera?)
Do you feel you have a meaningful life and a future ahead of you?
What would you need to feel that way?

Instead of more cops, ask every kid in every junior high and high school these questions.  There are actual solutions to these problems. 

(The job of everyone in prison should be to answer these questions, too. Just asking these questions would bring about results, even if the person did not answer out loud.)

Also, Metro can barely pay the interest on its' bond debt with payments they get from St Louis County Prop A.  Steve Stenger says more cops on Metrolink will be covered with Prop A.  Please ask him how that is possible?  Please ask how much of that money goes to Metro already and what do they spend it on?   St. Louis really can't afford anymore bonds.

http://www.kmov.com/story/31424328/county-executive-pushes-to-double-number-of-officers-on-metrolink-lines

Or cops. More cops almost never reduce crime.  In fact, more cops usually means more crime.

Solve the real issues. Make real changes.