Black teens on a rampage...

[Taylor]

I think crime needs to be punished no matter WHO does the crime. Color, size, age, gender, religion, style of clothes, lifestyle issues etc are completely inmaterial except for data in the police report. However, having said that, we need to reach out to people in our society regardless of their age, race, gender, religion, style of clothes,lifestyle because Jesus came and died for the human race. While it may seem inconceivable that God can forgive some heinous crimes (regardless of who committs them), he can and does, if the person just accepts His forgiveness and gift of eternal life. Yes, we must keep society as safe as we can. Punishment must at times be meeted out, but we need to look at every single person as a human whom Jesus died for and whom he wants to redeem. Yes, super stiff punishments may deter crime (as they do in Singapor...where the crime rate is much lower than many places because they are so strict), but in the end, what we need to be after, in addition to making society as safe as we can, is to present a Jesus that is so irresistable that a change in the heart occures.

There have been hardened criminals who have turned their lives over to Jesus and have gone on to be incredible wittnesses for Him. Look at Saul who became Paul. I am sure he did some horrendous things before he was met by Jesus on the road to damascus. Sure, what he did in the "killings" was in "good conscience" perhaps for him, but they were still brutal killings, irreparably ripping families apart. Some will never choose to follow God. Some may truely be so evil there is no redepemtion for them because they refuse God at every step. But since God is the judge, we need to work as much as we can for people, including inner city kids.

[Stan]

This whole thread is such a waste, if they would NOT have used the word BLACK, and just left that out it could have been meaningful.

[Woody]

Why is it that 'white' people can be called 'white' but 'black' people can't be called 'black'?

[Stan]

have not seen WHITE KIDS DO.....

[GreatLakesGramma]

I think crime needs to be punished no matter WHO does the crime.

I agree. Those in authority who allow criminals to go free are equally responsible for the crimes they commit subsequently. If there were no penalties for crime, no one would ever be safe, not even in their own homes.

[Dr. Shane]

This whole thread is such a waste, if they would NOT have used the word BLACK, and just left that out it could have been meaningful.

Those of us that have experienced racism are much more sensitive to it. I have found that many good, loving, white Christians have never experienced racism and thus are not very sensitive to it. In their world, racism doesn't exist. They do not judge others based on race nor do other judge them based on race. To them, describing a person as black, latino or asian is no different than describing a car by its make, model and color. I was very much like that before I became involved in a Hispanic church and eventually married into the latino culture.

[olger]

I have heard that some inner city schools give students two sets of books, one for school and one for home, so that they do not get beat up carrying books between home and school...

Hard to imagine,

G