Local group puts out call to end the violence

Group: "We're burying too many sons"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There is a group in Jacksonville that is passionate about changing the culture of violence around Jacksonville.

Thursday that group held an event called "A Call for 1,000 Men." They are focusing on getting young people in poor neighborhoods out of the cycle of violence.

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Called "Save our Sons," this group of mostly men want to be the role models for the teenage boys who they don't want falling into crime.

"Seriously, we're burying too many sons," event organizer Pastor John Guns said.

The passion overflowed at the Open Arms Christian Fellowship Church where people talked about stopping the retaliatory violence that has plagued Jacksonville in recent weeks. Everything from gang warfare in a McDonald's parking lot, to two First Coast High School football players losing their lives, to a school bus being shot up on Blanding Boulevard.

Outgoing Mayor Alvin Brown attended the event and said that even when he leaves office this July he will be fighting for this cause.

"I've been engaged before I became mayor working with the schools and working with young people so I'll continue to always do that. That will be my life's work," Brown said.

The group also spoke about Dr. Nikolai Vitti's plans to increase security at graduations in coming days and his thoughts about moving high school football games to Saturday afternoons if security is threatened.

"If they move games to daytime rather than night I think that would help," Bobby Cullers, a Northwest Jacksonville resident said.

Cullers brought his 6-year-old son to Thursday event. He left Raines High School in 2003 and said nowadays, it's a lot worse than a decade ago.

"It's gotten a lot worse. I have a younger brother in school now and some of the things he tells me that goes on in schools is a lot worse than what it was when I was in school," Cullers said.

Brown asked many of the men in the group to travel with him to some of the highest crime neighborhoods like Washington Heights and Cleveland Arms. He wants them to know the areas they need to focus on to help stop the violence.
 


About the Author:

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.