"The symbol of Valentine's Day is the heart, and we all have open wounds from the violence and tremendous loss of life in our communities," said Raymond Greenberg, dean of the Rollins School of Public Health, during his welcoming remarks at the KAL Public Conversation Series About Murder. KAL is a non-profit organization founded in March 1994 by Bernadette Leite, whose 17-year-old son was murdered on Aug. 14, 1993. The primary mission of KAL is to serve as an outreach to youth and adults who have been affected by violence. KAL's approach includes open discussion, conflict resolution, peer mediation, mentoring, community involvement and helping members identify positive means of expressing anger.
During the program, Leite, who serves as director of KAL, called forward members of KAL so that they could express their feelings about how KAL has affected their lives. The youth, ranging from eight to 19 years old, related their experiences with violence and their gratitude for having a place to channel the anger they have into positive action. Leite's daughter Amy said she "used to think it was just that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, everywhere is the wrong place, even school."
Citing handgun violence in particular, Arthur Kellerman, director of the Center for Injury Control and Prevention, remarked that "firearm crime is 30 times higher in the United States than in other industrialized countries. Since 1985, firearm crime has increased by 50 percent, homicide rates for white males 15-19 years old have doubled and have tripled for 15-19-year-old black males."
Emphasizing that violence is not only a juvenile criminal justice problem or a police problem but a public health problem as well, Kellerman outlined several community strategies that the Emory medical community in conjunction with groups like KAL are trying to implement in metro Atlanta. "We must reduce the number of kids turning to violence as a solution, reduce the supply of guns to kids, educate and help aid in the healing process. Groups like KAL are fundamental to combating the problem of violent crime," Kellerman said.
Some KAL members wore T-shirts displaying the slogan "Violent Crimes--A Sure Example of Self Destruction." According to Stephen Thomas, director of the Minority Health Research Laboratory, this slogan directly links to the fact that "violence is a learned behavior and can therefore be unlearned." For further information about KAL, contact Leite or Thomas at 727-4437.
--Bradley A. Singer