We must not make excuses for violent perpetrators.
Youth violence is intrinsically tragic. It is a catastrophe that so many young men and boys, due to a complex matrix of moral, social, economic and cultural reasons, make decisions and take actions that will likely lead to the permanent and vicious disfiguring of their lives and those of others. There is no silver-bullet solution or public-policy programme that will completely resolve this issue. One thing we must not do, however, is hand the young men caught up in youth violence an excuse – a narrative about deprivation or racism that can be used to excuse or explain away their behaviour.
This is the NYT’s story referenced – They Called Him a Gangster Out for Revenge. The Evidence? 6 Text Messages.
