Yo! Youth OutLook

Sean Shavers speaks on the recent shooting at an East Oakland church funeral. 

 

-- Sean Shavers

 

 

Funerals are supposed to be a time for those who are grieving over the lose of a person to come together and support each other. However, in the last 20+ years, it has now grown accustom to also include violence as a part of the program.

The combination of so many emotions at funerals may be the reason that violence has become normal at funeral services. I have noticed, though, that if I attend a funeral of a person who has been killed in a violent way, more violence always follows. Fortunately, I have never been to a funeral where people actually walk in where the service is being held and start shooting. I have though watched fights break out outside of funeral homes.

One time, a young lady, with yellow, green, and black braids went up to speak at a close friend of mines funeral. She began boosting about the boy who had been killed. She talked candidly about how much they were in love and how all the other girls THOUGHT they had him but that she was his one and only. My friend who was murdered only 15 years old. How he had decided which girl was going to be his one and only at 15 is beyond me. Other girls must have felt the same way. Soon after the funeral ended, a fight between her and some other girls broke out. The result of the girl fight was her hair being lit on fire. It was at that point I decided I was going to think twice before attending funerals.

Other youth, however, assume that its better to attend funerals were violence may happen. They just come “prepared.” Usually that means with guns fully loaded ready for action. In my opinion, that’s the most idiotic thing you can do. If you bring a gun to a funeral, your intention is to use it. Why bring violence to a place where you are most likely grieving over someone who died because of violence?

Sometimes I think funeral homes like renting their felicities to people who have been murdered. They know there’s a likely chance that someone is going to come shooting and BAM there’s another customer.

I believe that because of the violence going on, the family should issue a guest list. If your name is not on the list, you may not attend the funeral. Yes, for a while this may cause violence outside the funeral home, but after a while people will stop showing up knowing they aren’t invited. I would feel bad, because I do feel like everyone needs a chance to grieve. However, you cannot grieve if you are dead.

At Omega Boys Club, I was taught, “You can never kill an enemy.” This stuck to me because although a person may make you mad, you can never kill them. If you make a choice to kill that person, another person that loved the one you killed is going to come after you. Then, another after them. With this deadly cycle, funerals among young people are going to continue. I don’t want it to have to come to there being guest list and security at funerals. I just want the funeral services to end completely.

-- Alicia Marie, 20

 

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