Chicago Teens Share Concerns About Gun Violence in ‘Don’t Shoot, I Want To Grow Up’

A group of Chicago teens have compiled a series of letters detailing their thoughts on the crime and violence plaguing their hometown.

Entitled “Don’t Shoot, I Want to Grow Up,” the essays were written and then collected by students at the Columbia Links high school journalism and news literacy program at Columbia College. They hope to present the collection to Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and Police Chief Gary McCarthy in the coming weeks.

“Don’t Shoot, We Want to Grow Up” offers a vital perspective.

It’s a much-needed window into the thoughts and worries of a population arguably most-impacted by Chicago’s rising tide of violence; it’s youth.

From PRWeb:

“The idea for the publication came from reporter Celia Daniels, a Columbia Links mentor. Daniels said she observed that many of the high school students’ applications to be considered for the program expressed an urgent desire to write about the violence enveloping them.

Excerpts from the teen essays, which include students across Chicago, include a quote from a student who compares Chicago to Iraq, because it feels like he’s living in a war zone. Another student says it’s difficult to be proud of her city and invite others to visit. Several suggest there are negative tourism implications as a result of all the neighborhood violence.

These quotes show the impact of violence on the young author’s lives:

• “Chicago is also known as ‘Chi-Raq’ to my friends because it feels as if the streets are at war.”–Raymond Roundtree, 17, a sophomore at Options Laboratory School who lives on the South Side.
• “I love my city, but I’m finding it harder to defend it.”–Taylor Nazon, 17, a senior at Trinity High School who lives in Beverly.
• “Living each day as if it were my last.”–Asia Williams, 15, a sophomore at Westinghouse College Preparatory Academy who lives in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood on the Northwest Side.
• “I don’t want to be scared.”– Diamond Trusty, 15, a junior at Prosser Career Academy who lives on the West Side.
• “I don’t want to be next.”–Victoria Susberry, 14, a freshman at Lindblom Math and Science Academy who lives in Beverly.”

Read more at PRWeb.com

Click here to read “Don’t Shoot, I Want to Grow Up”