This desensitization contributes to the cyclical nature of violent behavior. I'm beginning to see evidence of this acceptance of violence as a natural part of life. Let me offer another example, one closer to home. I'm in my forties and the youth group members are teenagers. If either of us would be expected to be jaded about violence, perhaps even to the point of cynical resignation, it ought to be me.
Nobody can stop it.
The Importance of Compassion and Community Fist Stick Knife Gun paints a graphic picture of the impact of urban violence, but it also portrays hope. Geoff Canada is a good storyteller, and he is interesting as a survivor of urban violence, but he is more than that. He is also a flame of inspiration in a chalice of hope. After doing graduate work at Harvard, he chose to return to New York City, because he believed he could make a difference in the lives of some of New York City's children. He returned to offer communities an alternative to the cycle of violence.