“Teen shot dead in lane” –Star April 22nd.

This was yesterday. Today, again, another young black male has been gunned down by a wholly of shots, this time in the Jane/Eglinton area. This black on black shooting epidemic must be cured, one way or another.

What I find most distressing is the fanatical response to being “dissed”. The 19-year-old victim was shouting “don’t disrespect me”, as if not showing respect was worse than death. When all that matter to these young men –when all they hold dear is to be “respected”, or conversely, not “disrespected”, something is seriously missing from their lives and their sense of self. Therein lies the crux of the matter, and presents a focal point for our collective attention to this serious social cancer before it spreads to other areas of society.