It's a hard video to watch. (Watch it here, but note that it's very graphic.) It's a situation that you'll likely never be in. But in Chicago, it's a way of life. Derrion Albert's death is not the first nor the last to happen in and around the public school system, but it could be a tipping point.

• Derrion Albert Albert, an honors student, got caught in the middle of a gang fight just blocks away from his school, where a separate incident happened earlier that day. He was kicked and beaten with a plank, and he died on the scene. But someone caught it on a camera phone, a video that allowed Chicago police to identify the suspects. Four have been charged.
• This was not isolated Let’s be honest here: Albert’s death is getting much more attention because of the YouTube-friendly video. But it’s attention that can be harnessed. 290 students were injured last year in gun-related incidents in Chicago, and gang fights like the one shown in the video are common. The page-one play of this story could help the city turn a corner.
• Social mediaAs Albert’s death becomes a touchstone for Chicago schools, it’s important to note the video’s impact. Like the texting-while-driving PSA from a month ago, this video stays with you. It’s as strong a deterrent against gang violence as any, because the world doesn’t need more Derrion Alberts. Chicago needs safer schools and safer streets. Will that happen? source

Posted by Ernie Smith • Permalink