Milwaukee celebrates Juneteenth Day: Stop the violence is theme of event

One of the marching units in the Juneteenth Parade on June 19, 2014 displayed huge pink signs saying “Stop the Violence,” after a series of gun violence resulting sometimes in deaths and an innocent child being critically wounded on the playground at Clarke Street School and another inside a grocery on W. Hopkins Street. In recent weeks there has been a Clergy Gun Buyback, a Cease Fire Sabbath Week, and numerous community forums addressing the issue of crime. On the other hand, many people quickly say, when talking about crime: “Somebody should do something,” while others are aloof and say nothing at all until a loved one of theirs becomes a victim to crime or gun violence, which prematurely ends the life or critically injures too many of our loved ones too soon.