In an effort to reduce the mayhem and tragedy resulting from guns, gangs and drugs, the city of St. Petersburg has rolled out an initiative, “Not My Son,” that addresses African-American youth vulnerability. City Hall is asking parents to pledge more vigilance, while the city is extending recreation center hours to give kids a summer haven.
Symptomatic of the problem is that rec center extended hours include facilities now open for midnight basketball games. In other words, the choice is shoot hoops or haunt the hood at midnight. That’s a sobering reality.