Eric Hinesley: ‘Culture of violence’ must end

Regarding the Jan. 5 column “The Rev is right – this killing must stop”: This is one occasion when I agree 100 percent with Barry Saunders and the Rev. William Barber.

At the recent memorial service for 1-year-old Maleah Williams, Saunders quoted Barber, “Our people made it through slavery without killing one another. ... Why in the hell are you participating in your own genocide?” Then, “It’s time to shut some of this stuff down.”

Since early July, I have kept an account of murders in Wake and surrounding counties. So far, out of 37 murders, more than 30 victims have been blacks or Hispanics, with an average age of 24 years. More than 90 percent of the suspects have been young black males.

As with Maleah Williams, numerous killings are senseless drive-by shootings. People can focus on occasional mass killings and scream for gun control, but it will do very little to stop the daily slaughter among blacks in the streets and cities of America.

This will change only by addressing the issues that create and sustain the “culture of violence” among young black males in society. Black lives do matter.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Eric Hinesley: ‘Culture of violence’ must end."