{"id":31157,"date":"2015-05-12T21:15:15","date_gmt":"2015-05-12T21:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/youth-violence-prevention-2\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T19:37:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T19:37:37","slug":"prevencion-de-la-violencia-juvenil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/youth-violence-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"Prevenci\u00f3n de la violencia juvenil"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is the transcript of William C. Bell’s speech at the U.S. Department of Justice National Summit on Youth Violence Prevention, May 12, 2015, in Arlington, Virginia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Transcript<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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From the time I woke this morning, there has been a voice crying out in my head. It\u2019s like a voice crying in the wilderness of the isolation that exists in so many of our communities across this great nation.<\/p>\n

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It is the voice of so many young people who keep saying, \u201cI am out here in these streets, and these streets have raised me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It is a cry that is asking us to consider that the program, no matter how well intentioned, may not be enough to dismantle the institute that is creating the mindset that is holding too many of our children captive.<\/p>\n

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It is a cry that is calling out to ask the question: \u201cAre we serious this time? Are we serious enough to move beyond focusing on symptoms and begin to address the core issues staring us in the face?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Are we serious enough to begin to change the streets that are raising our children? Are we serious enough to acknowledge that these issues didn\u2019t begin with Ferguson, Staten Island, North Charleston or Baltimore?<\/p>\n

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Are we serious this time? The voices are crying:<\/p>\n

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Ja Rule and Mary J. Blige \u2013 These Streets Done Raised Me:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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These streets done raised me<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t turn me off because I am still your child\u2026.<\/p>\n

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This world done changed me\u2026.<\/p>\n

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I am standing here looking in the mirror trying to convince myself that my life is getting better<\/p>\n

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But I know the outcome\u2026.<\/p>\n

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Nobody loves me\u2026.<\/p>\n

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Somebody please pray for me before I die on these streets\u2026.<\/p>\n

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These streets done raised me\u2026.<\/p>\n

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The world done changed me\u2026.<\/p>\n

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This world made me what I am, a 26-year-old kid with two kids\u2026.<\/p>\n

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There ain\u2019t nothing you can do about us\u2026.<\/p>\n

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Nobody loves me; Mary please pray for me before I die in these streets\u2026.<\/p>\n

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Are we serious enough to change the streets?<\/p>\n

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Just like we can\u2019t help children heal in isolation from helping their families heal, we can\u2019t help families heal in isolation from helping their communities heal.<\/p>\n

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We must change the streets.<\/p>\n

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When you take all that I have left, my respect, you leave me with no alternatives.<\/p>\n

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When you take hope from a person, you render them a beast of prey!<\/p>\n

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We heard from several speakers today that we have challenges with jobs, unemployment, education, housing and violence.<\/p>\n

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When President Obama used some of his press conference time in the Rose Garden to speak about the unrest in Baltimore, he said, \u201cThis is not new.\u201d And indeed, this is not new.<\/p>\n

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There are three actions\/conversations that happened within a month of each other 47 years ago:<\/p>\n