In Reply to Anthony Reid: Gangs and Guns

Anthony, thanks for your comments tagged onto the 'Briishness Scheme Really Bugs Me' debate.

My views on this subject, as they are on many things, are quite controversial.

I agree that there should be a representation of as many cultures, religions and creeds on any advisory panel, particularly one which deals with the very real and dangerous realities of gangs and guns.

We know that there are still forces out there who do not want to give 'other' people any kind of influence at all, but as a child of the late 70s/ 80s, I believe the days of wholesale community action for improvement are gone, if not over all together.

As a media professional of some years, I've seen too many people, including Black folks, sitting on committees, banging on about 'the issues' to anyone that comes near them and holding court at conferences discussing what needs to be done - often without genuine interest in seeing positive changes made.

Sometimes the real issue for them is to make themselves sufficiently visible and audible in time for the next round of funding.

I think that if Black folks or anyone else wants influence, this needs to start with, as the song says, the man (or woman) in the mirror, making sure they are positive, law-abiding person who is making a valid contribution to society. It should then move to caring for their families; making sure their siblings, children, nephews/ nieces are doing the right things too, and move on from there.

Too many of us, particularly as Black men, have moved away from their own sphere of influence in their own families to try to build the community. Don't get me wrong, that is good in itself, but what real value would I be to my own son if the only time he saw my fatherly nature was is in some committee meeting?

It might take a generation for the effects to be visible but this current climate didn't occur overnight either. Since 1981 I've personally seen the cycle of discontent, riots, insufficient governmental action repeated over and over again. If we want this done, we've got to do it ourselves.

Anthony, we need brothers like you to keep pushing for Black influence at decision-making levels but we also need to keep encouraging our own people to do all they can where they can whether or not these opportunities become available.