"The infectiousness of crime is like that of the plague." Napoleon Bonaparte
New Orleans has been considered by many to be the murder capital of all the United States cities. According to NOLA.com, "New Orleans saw homicides jump by 14 percent last year, ending the year with 199 killings. For the previous three years, the murder rate in New Orleans had stabilized at around 175 killings a year. Even that number was a staggering amount that gave New Orleans the highest per-capita murder rate in the country by a comfortable margin." These numbers are staggering, to say the least, and warrant careful consideration with what route to take next to solve the crime problems in the city.
While I do not have the power to change the crime epidemic that we are experiencing, I do have one ability in which I can attempt to help the city. I can communicate with the people. In the face of this plague we need to be ever watchful and vigilant. We need to watch for our neighbors; both those we get along with and those we do not. We need to protect our children, making sure they understand the dangers of the world around them as well as the beauty of it and the goodness of the people that inhabit it. We need the help of the community to keep our youth out of trouble, instilling them with the will to do what is right. We need the help of the schools to promote goodness and motivation in our youth. We need the help of everyone in this city to never give up and never lose hope. It is time to stand up and to stop the violence. It is our responsibility now. Let us be the hope amid the sorrow...
