Rashad Walker Jr. (pictured) was just 20 months old when he died. The child was killed in the back of his mother's minivan in Syracuse, N.Y., when he was shot with up to 10 bullets while he was sleeping at 4:30 p.m. this past Sunday. His mother was holding him when paramedics arrived on the scene.
Walker died at 6:45 p.m. in the hospital, but he was not the intended target.
The story of Rashad Walker is clearly one of the most tragic incidents we've read about all year. It takes us back to the police shooting of Aiyana Jones, the 7-year-old in Detroit who was shot while sleeping during a police raid. This story is also personal to me because I live in Syracuse, a city that (like so many others) continues to be plagued by gun violence.
Events like this emphasize the importance of community policing and helping officers apprehend those who are responsible for creating this kind of pain in our communities. Also, these incidents tell us that we've got to do something to slow down the gun violence in America's cities. The weapons that are killing our children should be taken off the streets.
Another thing about Syracuse, as well as many other urban areas around the nation, is that the educational system is plagued with inadequacies. There are not enough activities to keep young people off the streets, and there are few, if any, jobs available for inner-city youth. Such dire conditions breed the kind of hopelessness that leads to violent incidents like this.
The criminal justice system make matters worse by showing an insatiable willingness to abuse and incarcerate defendants rather than rehabilitate them. By removing so many fathers from the inner city, we have children who grow up to become either victims or perpetrators of violent crime. This cycle has got to stop.
16-Nov-10 - Forty-five years after he was killed by an Alabama State Trooper, Jimmie Lee Jackson, whose death lead to the first civil rights march on Selma, he is finally getting a small measure of justice.
12-Nov-10 - In a case better suited for Judge Mathis, Paula Cook is proceeding with her civil suit against Fantasia Barrino for an antiquated legal cause of action called "Alienation of Affection" in a North Carolina court.
First, my deepest condolence to the mother who had to watch her young son dying in her arms. I can't imagine the grief she is feeling right now. Secondly, I have been reading all these comments and some hit the nail on the head while others have missed the mark. The one thing that I believe we should all realize is that the "low-life, ain't worth a piece of @#%&, cowardly wasted piece of flesh" individuals are definitely "not" reading these comments. Praying works and is a "good thing", but until "we" start "policing" our own communities (especially the blackmen) and doling out the consequences accordingly, we can continue to "pray, hope, wish" and "shout" until the moon turns green. After decades of relying on the "adversary" (those folk) to 'protect' us from ourselves we see what "our" community has been reduced to. No one loves you like yourself, to put your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness in the 'hands' of another is not only foolish, it is insane! No one wants to talk plainly about the situation or the cure for the problem in our community, everyone wants to be 'politically-correct', everyone wants to be 'civil', everyone wants to 'pray, hope and wish' this problem away. For those who call themselves Christian, Muslims, Jewish, etc. if you study each groups sacred writings, there has always been and is a "solution" for individuals who "harm" the collective whole/society. The Creator has given us both "intellect" and "emotion", we have to learn to discern between the two and react to any given situation using one or the other depending upon the circumstance. Sometimes there are situations that require using "both" faculties (justice and mercy), but when you have individuals who intentionally go out to harm people in the community than consequences need to follow that action "from" the members of that community. This might sound like vigilantism but 'no group or society' ever continued to exist without some kind of consequence as a result of "bad behavior" by one of its own members. The black community is going to have to make some 'hard' choices about "how" to deal with the kind of violence that is plaguing our community and killing our children. I'm sure that what I am saying "has" been discussed in the kitchen, barber shops, and living rooms in the black community. If we don't begin to have some kind of serious dialogue about solutions, then we can continue on sharing our 'condolences' to more families who have lost love ones because we are "waiting" for someone else to protect us!
Dr. Boyce, We have to stop with the "gimme" attitude! I know full grown women that have never worked in their lives and have no desire to. You would think in between time, smoking weed and watching tv and buying Air1s & getting hairdos, that they would @ least raise their children! Their lack of education doesn't even encourage them to push their children. Recently, my son brought home his 17 yr old friend who is one of seven children. His mother collects welfare-6 of her children have the same father. I had her son in my home, enrolled in school in an entirely different state four months before she even contacted me (actually, I contacted her.) She told me "he's 17 and he's grown" You think that him excelling inspired her to say "thank you"? It hasn't even inspired her to send money or call and check on him. I have nothing against people collecting assistance-everyone needs a lil help sometime but no one needs help for an eternity, especially when they continue to have babies. I can't begin to tell you how many homes-Section 8, subsidies are hangouts for troublemakers! If a person is raising their children a fraction of right, there are 10 homes that their children can go to and do wrong. That was not the case when we were coming up and it was not that long ago! When will mothers, (I say mothers because so many seem to be convinced that fathers are absent-which by the way is a bunch of b.s.) start doing their job? I recognize that there is a problem in the community with fatherhood but damn! My mother was young when I had my first child she REFUSED to turn over her life because I had a baby. She always said "you'll never have another one while I'm home watching this one"- My Dad told me "you got a lot of work ahead of you, babies aren't toys, you can't put them back in the box when you're done playing with them..." The patients are now running the asylum in our community-black women must support each other and assume their roles!
where was the mother when the shots hit the car? 10 shots and only the baby hit? If mom was not in the car at the time of the shooting, where was she? and who else witnessed the shooting? She could have staged the shooting; I need answers.
Not enough activities to keep the young people off the streets? You're blaming THAT for this animalisitic behavior? Are you kidding? When I grew up there was far LESS to do both after school and in the summer but I still managed to resist the compulsion to rob, rape and kill. "Let me see... I'm kind of bored so I'll knock off a convenience store or put a bullet in the head of a toddler. Surely the good citizens will understand." Using boredom as a justification for felonious behavior is ludicrous. Can't find much to occupy your time? Pick up a BOOK, a BASEBALL or a DVD. WHATEVER you decide to do, DON'T BREAK THE LAW.
I take offense to your blaming "white/rich people" for the shooting of this child. Your ignorance is overshadowing the disciplinary points you have made. Those points are a little suspect also. A parent can discipline their child. Hopefully the laws are in place to protect a child from abuse.
I personally don't believe the "affluent white community aka rich white kids" had anything to do with this murder. I am also tired of hearing people blame others for the action or inaction that an individual or group takes.
The amount of violence that young black men perpetuate on one another is appalling. Worse than that, the amount of violence that THE HUMAN RACE inflicts on one another is down right sickening. Although you might be able to blame the worlds rich, white elite for stoking tensions it still boils down to individuals that choose to act in such a manner.
A black man is president. Blame that on the white elite. A black man is on the Supreme Court. Blame that on the rich. Blame Russell Simmons and Hip hop on the whites?
Wait I get it,blame the white elitists for the problems yet have poor blacks take credit for the successes?
Why does the the census ask me what nationality I derive from and what race I am? I had 6 interviews with them when I refused to change my answers.
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Comments: (27)
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By: Richard on 12/01/2010 12:35AM
First, my deepest condolence to the mother who had to watch her young son dying in her arms. I can't imagine the grief she is feeling right now. Secondly, I have been reading all these comments and some hit the nail on the head while others have missed the mark. The one thing that I believe we should all realize is that the "low-life, ain't worth a piece of @#%&, cowardly wasted piece of flesh" individuals are definitely "not" reading these comments. Praying works and is a "good thing", but until "we" start "policing" our own communities (especially the blackmen) and doling out the consequences accordingly, we can continue to "pray, hope, wish" and "shout" until the moon turns green. After decades of relying on the "adversary" (those folk) to 'protect' us from ourselves we see what "our" community has been reduced to. No one loves you like yourself, to put your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness in the 'hands' of another is not only foolish, it is insane! No one wants to talk plainly about the situation or the cure for the problem in our community, everyone wants to be 'politically-correct', everyone wants to be 'civil', everyone wants to 'pray, hope and wish' this problem away. For those who call themselves Christian, Muslims, Jewish, etc. if you study each groups sacred writings, there has always been and is a "solution" for individuals who "harm" the collective whole/society. The Creator has given us both "intellect" and "emotion", we have to learn to discern between the two and react to any given situation using one or the other depending upon the circumstance. Sometimes there are situations that require using "both" faculties (justice and mercy), but when you have individuals who intentionally go out to harm people in the community than consequences need to follow that action "from" the members of that community. This might sound like vigilantism but 'no group or society' ever continued to exist without some kind of consequence as a result of "bad behavior" by one of its own members. The black community is going to have to make some 'hard' choices about "how" to deal with the kind of violence that is plaguing our community and killing our children. I'm sure that what I am saying "has" been discussed in the kitchen, barber shops, and living rooms in the black community. If we don't begin to have some kind of serious dialogue about solutions, then we can continue on sharing our 'condolences' to more families who have lost love ones because we are "waiting" for someone else to protect us!
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By: nomoxcuses on 12/01/2010 1:17PM
Dr. Boyce,
We have to stop with the "gimme" attitude! I know full grown women that have never worked in their lives and have no desire to. You would think in between time, smoking weed and watching tv and buying Air1s & getting hairdos, that they would @ least raise their children! Their lack of education doesn't even encourage them to push their children. Recently, my son brought home his 17 yr old friend who is one of seven children. His mother collects welfare-6 of her children have the same father. I had her son in my home, enrolled in school in an entirely different state four months before she even contacted me (actually, I contacted her.) She told me "he's 17 and he's grown" You think that him excelling inspired her to say "thank you"? It hasn't even inspired her to send money or call and check on him. I have nothing against people collecting assistance-everyone needs a lil help sometime but no one needs help for an eternity, especially when they continue to have babies. I can't begin to tell you how many homes-Section 8, subsidies are hangouts for troublemakers! If a person is raising their children a fraction of right, there are 10 homes that their children can go to and do wrong. That was not the case when we were coming up and it was not that long ago! When will mothers, (I say mothers because so many seem to be convinced that fathers are absent-which by the way is a bunch of b.s.) start doing their job? I recognize that there is a problem in the community with fatherhood but damn! My mother was young when I had my first child she REFUSED to turn over her life because I had a baby. She always said "you'll never have another one while I'm home watching this one"- My Dad told me "you got a lot of work ahead of you, babies aren't toys, you can't put them back in the box when you're done playing with them..." The patients are now running the asylum in our community-black women must support each other and assume their roles!
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By: johnny on 12/02/2010 4:53PM
where was the mother when the shots hit the car? 10 shots and only the baby hit? If mom was not in the car at the time of the shooting, where was she? and who else witnessed the shooting? She could have staged the shooting; I need answers.
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By: macaroni on 12/03/2010 9:48AM
Not enough activities to keep the young people off the streets? You're blaming THAT for this animalisitic behavior? Are you kidding? When I grew up there was far LESS to do both after school and in the summer but I still managed to resist the compulsion to rob, rape and kill. "Let me see... I'm kind of bored so I'll knock off a convenience store or put a bullet in the head of a toddler. Surely the good citizens will understand."
Using boredom as a justification for felonious behavior is ludicrous. Can't find much to occupy your time? Pick up a BOOK, a BASEBALL or a DVD.
WHATEVER you decide to do, DON'T BREAK THE LAW.
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By: vgfcd on 12/03/2010 7:13PM
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By: Pam on 12/06/2010 3:16PM
I read this article while eating my lunch in my office and starting crying and could not stop.
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By: onebigperm on 12/22/2010 12:36PM
This comment is in response to EEDUJ1001:
I take offense to your blaming "white/rich people" for the shooting of this child. Your ignorance is overshadowing the disciplinary points you have made. Those points are a little suspect also. A parent can discipline their child. Hopefully the laws are in place to protect a child from abuse.
I personally don't believe the "affluent white community aka rich white kids" had anything to do with this murder. I am also tired of hearing people blame others for the action or inaction that an individual or group takes.
The amount of violence that young black men perpetuate on one another is appalling. Worse than that, the amount of violence that THE HUMAN RACE inflicts on one another is down right sickening. Although you might be able to blame the worlds rich, white elite for stoking tensions it still boils down to individuals that choose to act in such a manner.
A black man is president. Blame that on the white elite. A black man is on the Supreme Court. Blame that on the rich. Blame Russell Simmons and Hip hop on the whites?
Wait I get it,blame the white elitists for the problems yet have poor blacks take credit for the successes?
Why does the the census ask me what nationality I derive from and what race I am? I had 6 interviews with them when I refused to change my answers.
Nationality: AMERICAN
Race: HUMAN
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