There is definitely a problem with violence today. Weather the violence has to
do with fists, sticks, knives, guns, violence is getting a little out of hand. Personally, I
had never really been exposed to serious violence of any sort, therefore I can not
relate myself to Canada’s life. The reason why I’ve never been exposed to violence, is
because I chose not to be. That was my choice. I used to live in an extremely violent
neighborhood in Brooklyn, and I could have been hanging out on the street, drinking
beer with the rest of the girls, and generally getting myself in trouble. However, my
choice was to stay off the streets and avoid trouble and violence. There was a price to
pay. Every time I left my apartment, the kids outside made cruel jokes about me very
loudly, made fun of me, pulled my hair and so forth. But I would rather put up with
the insults then end up raped, beaten up, or end up laying dead on some street corner
with people walking by and simply stepping over my lifeless body without a care in
the world.
Geoffrey Canada had a very tough life growing up, and in my opinion he simply
could not stay home all the time, and be stranded in his apartment while he was
growing up. For one thing he wasn’t a coward, he learned very early on that the most
important thing you must do in order to survive is to “have heart”. And that meant not
running away from problems, but facing them courageously, like a real man.
Therefore, Geoffrey went outside and faced violence while learning very important
lessons in life. The lessons that he learned on the streets of the Bronx along with all of
his street smarts, is the very thing that made him choose his ideal career path.
Geoffrey Canada is actually a good man, he wants to help kids and people in
general, because he understands how they feel. He understands, due to the fact that
he’s been there himself, and he is wise. He knows what its like to feel helpless and
alone. He knows that most of the kids from the Bronx are poor and they sometimes
have no choice but to put on a “tough guy” act, or act violently for various reasons.
He also understands that these kids feel helpless, and they can’t come to adults for
help because they don’t trust them. Canada states, “when it came to violence teachers
and principals just didn’t understand-we were on our own to survive the best way we
knew how(157). Due to his awareness of how kids struggle with having to
survive, Geoffrey Canada figured that he was the perfect person to try to help kids
and change the world. In my opinion, he did have a chance to “get out” of the
neighborhood, and live a normal life, (without violence). However, he felt that it was
his purpose if life to help people in need. He knew that kids from the Bronx are in
serious trouble, and that the gun craze is getting out of control. One thing I disagree
with, is the fact that Canada believes that it’s due to the large gun distribution that
kids are dying(177). Its people that kill, not guns that kill. In any case, thousands of
young kids are dying each year for various reasons, and it seems to be getting
worse as time goes by. Geoffrey Canada feels very passionate about helping
teens and people in general, who are in trouble. Violence is an issue that everyone
may recognize, but not everyone is doing something to prevent it, because not
everyone cares. Geoffrey Canada cares, and he cares a lot, because he would do
anything to stop violence and end the murder of innocent kids.
