Will Kill for Money | Detroit, MI

In Detroit, a young man who is willing can get paid thousands of dollars to commit murder. The city's unemployment rate is more than 22%, the high school graduation rate is the lowest in the nation at 31%, and the rate of gun violence is among the highest in the country. How much of gun violence is economic? How much is emotional? Is gun violence a social contagion?

When DCTV worked in Detroit this summer, we spent our time with homeless youth and young people transitioning out of the foster care system through the organizations Blue Babies and Covenant House. One young man in particular spoke to us about his life as a drug dealer, and how he ended up in a homeless shelter after rival dealers set fire to the house where he had been squatting. He told us two important things: 1) If he were offered money to take someone out, he would do it, even if it were only so he could buy his own clothes, rather than wearing clothes that belong to the homeless shelter, and 2) Shooting people can be addictive.

In addressing gun violence, people sometimes get off topic. They talk about gun violence when they really want to talk about poverty or inequities in our education system or another issue of social justice. But all of these issues absolutely contribute to the gun violence epidemic, and addressing them is critical in gun violence prevention.

In order for that young man in Detroit to stop selling drugs, he must be supported by the staff at organizations like Covenant House and Blue Babies, who provide him with shelter, food, education, a positive peer group and employment opportunities. It takes support on all these levels to truly make a difference. Maybe a gun owner's individual right to protect himself shouldn't override the work of an entire community?