One of our young men came back from a day with the boys and told me he had to step away, so the child would not see him cry.
asserted
him → come → me
The child, an 11-year-old with a buzzed head and a gap-tooth smile, told the young man that he loves coming around us because we feel like his uncles.
asserted
we → buzz → uncles
Then the child got quiet.
asserted
child → get → ?
He said he gets sad sometimes because his dad never wants to talk to him or see him.
asserted
dad → say → him
What made the young man tear up was that the child then said that he hopes his father is doing good.
asserted
father → make → good
"But why doesn’t my dad like me?"
asserted
dad → like → me
We all love this young boy and there is nothing not to like about him.
asserted
We → love → him
He tries hard at school.
asserted
He → try → school
He stands up to bullies and takes care of those around him.
asserted
He → stand → him
He is asking for guidance.
asserted
He → ask → guidance
He is asking for adults to guide him.
asserted
adults → ask → him
If we don’t step up, the streets will take him.
asserted
streets → step → him
This is the hard work that we do every day.
asserted
we → do → that
Far too many of us make the mistake of trying to save young men after they are broken.
asserted
they → make → men
We hold the press conference after the shooting, myself included, and we say we must do better.
asserted
we → hold → shooting
We demand funding for programs after the arrest and the boy is long gone into the slammer.
asserted
boy → demand → slammer
In the saddest cases, we write the obituary after the funeral and the family grieves over the senselessness.
asserted
family → write → senselessness
These tragedies happen because we often fail to build the boy before the streets define manhood for him.
asserted
streets → happen → him
By manhood I don’t mean puffing your chest like you some bad dude.
asserted
I → mean → you
That’s an empty front.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
Manhood means discipline, responsibility, accountability, faith, and all the qualities that allow one to stand strong on two feet.
asserted
one → mean → feet
He is asking for guidance.
asserted
He → ask → guidance
He asking for adults to guide him.
asserted
He → ask → him
If we don’t step up, the streets will take him.
asserted
streets → step → him
Every young boy learns from the men who stay and show how it is done.
asserted
it → learn → men
A young boy does not learn from a slogan, a speech, or empty promises.
asserted
boy → learn → slogan
The government can send a check, and it has sent more than its share into our neighborhood, but the government can never manufacture expectations.
asserted
government → send → expectations
It cannot sit on the curb and talk to an 11-year-old boy who wants to know why his father disappeared.
asserted
father → sit → boy
Last week, I stood in front of our new Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center that we built to steward young boys like our 11-year-old.
asserted
we → stand → old
High up on one of the window panes, someone shot a hole through the glass.
asserted
someone → shoot → glass
This is the third window pane that has been broken.
asserted
that → break → ?
We’re talking thousands to repair the damage and we will replace them.
asserted
we → talk → them
But think about what they shot.
asserted
they → think → what
It was a building — one of the first constructions on the South Side in who knows how long — going up where a motel notorious for crime once stood.
asserted
motel → know → crime
And on a block that was known as America’s most dangerous.
asserted
that → know → America
The government can send a check, and it has sent more than its share into our neighborhood, but the government can never manufacture expectations.
asserted
government → send → expectations
It cannot sit on the curb and talk to an 11-year-old boy who wants to know why his father disappeared.
asserted
father → sit → boy
This building houses job training facilities, classrooms, tutoring, violence prevention and so on.
asserted
building → house → facilities
Most of all, this building was built to house young boys and girls who need the safety to grow into strong, resilient adults.
asserted
who → build → adults
Someone looked at all of that and fired a bullet at it.
asserted
Someone → look → it
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
