Blame for violence begins in home

If you've followed the news you're aware of the tragic execution-style murder of three promising young people in Newark, N.J., this past week. Four college-bound kids were innocently visiting on a school yard when a robber apparently had them kneel against a wall and then shot each in the head. One survivor is helping police piece together the information. Police there said an arrest may come as soon as today.

The murder rate in Newark has increased 50 percent in the past 10 years, mostly fueled by gang and drug-related violence. But these murders involved good kids with promising futures. Their deaths bring to 60 the number of murders there this year.

What struck me about this story was the stark honesty and candid reality spoken by the father of one victim. His words - as only he could say them - struck at the heart of the problem, not just in Newark but everywhere.

One of the victim's father, James Harvey, a former city water department employee, put blame squarely on the parents of the murderers.

"If you raised your kids better, this would not happen," he said. And his words are the most accurate and honest appraisal yet of the violence that strikes some communities and some neighborhoods.

The usual array of community activists had ample blame to broadcast. They blamed the mayor for not putting more cops on the streets. They blamed the police for inadequate patrols in problem neighborhoods. They blamed a lack of funding for youth programs. Their list was virtually endless.

But the victim's father was the only voice honest enough to point the finger of blame squarely at the right target. He blamed the parents who allow their children to go unchecked through life with no accountability.

It's not poverty and it most certainly is not the fault of law enforcement or governments. The fault starts at home where parents abandon all responsibility. They should be held as accountable as their children who murdered these three precious young people.

I'm sick and tired of this constant blame game when the true problem should be abundantly obvious to everyone. But the voices that always seem to surface in these situations remain quiet. Few are willing to fault the lack of parental guidance even though everyone recognizes that this is the real issue.

We join the nation in mourning this tragic loss. Who knows what accomplishments these three kids could have made to our society.

But it took a father, in his moment of profound grief, to say the words that far too many are unwilling to speak. If there is any lesson to come out of this tragedy it will be his words, his wisdom and his honesty.