Homeland Security, where did you go?

     Homeland security, where did you go? My heart goes go to the family of Jody Patzner, Jr. who was shot a block from his home while delivering a piece of pizza to a neighbor (Minneapolis robbery turns deadly). 
     Having been jumped at midday on the Northside by three young men, it grieves me to think of those who daily live with a sense of terror/insecurity in unsafe neighborhoods. I'm also saddened by the desperation and lack of positive role modeling that causes so many of our nation's kids to turn to gangs, buying into our societies' glamorization of violence. The absence of skills and jobs that pay a livable wage also help to undermine our nation's security.
     The abundance of guns also makes homicide more common in this country than most.  Shortly after I was attacked a few years back an older guy who witnessed it came from across the street and confidently proclaimed "If I would-a had a gun I'd have shot those three".  I was thinking a good thing he wasn't carrying, otherwise I could have just as easily of been a victim of his shooting. 
     Nationally we are seeing considerable interest in a shooting of a young unarmed man which was done "in self defense" by a guy in Florida.  The shooter identified himself as a member of a neighborhood watch group. He will likely be utilizing Florida's "stand your ground" law to support his decision to use deadly force rather than retreat during a confrontation.  I don't believe that vigilante justice will make this country more secure. Rather we must invest in the lives of young people and provide schooling and employment opportunities that give them hope.