Students across the city take oath to stay gun-free

Whether they listened to someone tell how gun violence affected their lives or they told a story of their own, the underlying message was the same for all Chicagoland students - stay away from guns.

Various assemblies and rallies were held at schools throughout the city yesterday encouraging students to take a pledge to not use guns. It was part of the 12th Annual National Day of Concern urging children to find non-violent ways to solve conflicts.

Chicago police officers from the Prairie District spent the day at several schools reading Gorp's Gift to students from first to third grades. The book's message is about the importance of staying safe and what a child should do if they find a gun.

After listening to the story, most of the children had the same questions for the officers, "Why do you have a gun if they hurt people?"

"We are authorized to have them so we can protect you and your family. If you see a gun in your home, or anywhere else, don't touch it. Go and get an adult," Officers Irish McCray-Jones and Ruth Singleton told students at St. Jerome Catholic School on the South Side.

Officer Juwana Williams told students at Drake Elementary School on South King Drive that police officers are trained to carry and use guns. When asked if he ever used his gun, Williams said, "Thankfully, only when practicing."

Farther south, the principal at Burnside Scholastic Academy told students that they were attending the most important assembly the school will ever have. Many children across the city have not learned the valuable lesson of staying away from guns, Dr. Anthony Biegler, principal at Burnside, said.

To help get the message across, third grader Taiya Jones told her schoolmates to "take a proactive stance against gun violence" and led the crowd in taking the pledge.

"I will never bring a gun to school; I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute; I will use my influence with my friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes," Burnside students, faculty and guests recited loudly.

In addition to a three-minute skit performed by a Burnside student and teacher about how important is it for children to obey their parents and stay out of harm's way and not get influenced by gangs, a small memorial was held for Dominique Ryan Willis.

Willis, an innocent bystander, was killed in gun crossfire in July after having dinner with friends.

Burnside students also heard the emotional story of a Chicago police detective who lost his son to gun violence in 2003.

Detective Clifton Underwood's son was killed in a West Side club after a fight broke out between rival gangs. He died before Underwood made it to the hospital.

"This is a bittersweet day for me. I spent 27 years dodging bullets. That's nothing compared to losing one's life," Underwood, the coordinator of the "We Care" Role Model and Peer Jury programs for the Chicago Police Department, said while holding back tears.

Students at Harper High School in Englewood spent the day honoring the 40 students who were killed by gun violence during the last two school years, including one of their own Starkesia Reed. A stray bullet from a gang shoot-out killed Reed in March 2006.

During the ceremony, the 40 names were read and 40 balloons were released.

"After each name was called, we rang a chime and had a moment of silence.

"We also released a white balloon for ancestry and a blue balloon for hope and commitment to bring back love in the community," Lorraine Harrell, of the 21 st Century Community Learning Center, said.

A total of 4,332 children under 17 years were victims of gun violence in the city between January 2006 and July 2007.

So far this year, 69 people under the age of 20 were killed by guns, according to Vance Henry, director of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy.

[Author Affiliation]

by Kathy Chaney

Defender Staff Writer