Baltimore’s Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young wants to try a new approach to preventing gun violence. A day after the shooting death of a teenager, Mayor Young suggested a boxing ring be built to settle issues in the streets, according to @baltimoresun.
After the organized fight is over, the beef should be squashed, according to Young. Depending on how you look at it, the suggestion could actually be considered an old school way of handling problems.
“If they want to really settle them, we can have them down at the Civic Center [now called Royal Farms Arena], put a boxing ring up, let them go and box it out, those kind of things,” Young said. “[May] the best man win, and the beef should be over. Those are some kinds of things I’m thinking about, and hoping that we can get these people to put these guns down.”
The mayor, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and City Councilman Robert Stokes Sr. were among hundreds of people from Walk By Faith Ministries, which kicked off its “Bmore United” rally against gun violence, sponsored by the city on Sunday.
The rally celebrated unity and was filled with food and games as well as employment opportunities from the city.
The rally served as a prelude to National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which is on Friday, as well as a series of weekend “pop-up” youth engagement events by the state’s attorney’s office on Fridays this summer.
Mosby referenced the recent arrests of six youths during Memorial Day Weekend and said her office wants to provide positive alternatives for young people on weekend nights.
“We saw what happened last week with the young people in our city, and we want to make sure we are supportive of them,” Mosby said. “It’s time for us collectively to come together and change the trajectory and find productive activities for our young people, especially when we know they’re getting out of school.”
Roommates, what do you think of Mayor Young’s suggestion to curb gun violence? Let us know!
TSR STAFF: Christina C! @cdelafresh
