Facing our deadly uncivilized reality is causing many to rush in categorizing inner-city homicides as simple black on black crimes. These types of killings would never grab the headlines or force us to search into our souls for answers. They don’t reach the level of a single killer acting out a mass execution or a bomb blast but, the effect on the families are the same, whether their loved one dies in a mass execution or as a lone individual, dead is dead!

Captain Anthony J. Muhammad (holding a “Don’t Kill,Think! sign) of the Nation of Islam joined C.A.S.K. on the corner of Kirby Parkway and Winchester Ave.

Everybody is in on today’s killings, there aren’t many dividing lines among us anymore. One is either for or against senseless acts of violence.

Sure, we would like to think and state that our loved one died honorably, defending our nation and in the line of duty, but the reality is: too few are dying this way.  Most are killed either by justified, suicides, or senseless homicides. Senseless – having no rational or logical reasoning and the killer might or might not have a relationship with his or her victim. These types of homicides have taken a tremendous toll on the inner-city.  One by one people are shot and killed regardless of age and gender.  The remarkable and outstanding fact is: they’re black.  What’s the difference in these types of killings and the Orlando killings or San Bernardino? Actually there’s no difference, only an imaginary boundary that causes us to respond differently, dead is dead!

Several C.A.S.K. board members posed for a photo shoot.

Queens Nataki Ajanaku and Patricia Lee (Boots on the ground!).

What if there were no races, genders, colors, religions, social status, nationalities, or ages. Do you think we could then see the reality?  Or, at least face this “killing problem” as human beings should?  Has the long running sensationalism of violence and death driving us to a point of no return? Murder has become apart of our means to problem solving.  When one is preventing us from achieving, are we thinking murder first then second, the problem?  Our society, among the nations, has reached a new low – senseless killings!

There are those who ask, “When is “it” going to stop?”  The truth is: it took generations for us to get to this point, if we band together it’ll take generations to end.  There are no quick fixes when working in causes that benefit humanity, but there must be work.  Who would work in a cause that saves lives?  Help yourself, the help of G-d is always near.

C.A.S.K. is about coalition building; all inner-city organization must come together against senseless acts of violence.

A pubic display of love, an interest in community life, and a willingness to come forward to help.

Imam Wali Shaheed stands alone for what he believes: “Don’t Kill, Think!

Brother Iban, C.A.S.K. Youth Coordinator.