By Kenneth L. Hardin

The military uses a five-point readiness condition scale to keep our country on alert from threats to our normal way of life. So as not to cause panic, the DEFCON Level is never revealed to the public. The least severe level is a five with each successive decrease representing an increased threat to public safety. After several surprising, angry and emotional conversations over the past two weeks about our local youth, where I was sent pictures and videos, we need to lower the local DEFCON level to one.

Please don’t tell me kids are out of control and acting irresponsibly everywhere outside of Salisbury. I don’t live “everywhere” so I care little about what’s occurring outside of 28144. I’m not shocked or surprised by the deluge of lawlessness by our young people here because our attitude and approach has given fuel to this scourge of criminal and deadly behavior from our young people. I’ve heard the misguided excuses of “there’s nothing for kids to do here; it ain’t my kids acting up; I don’t have kids in the school system so I don’t care; just let the police handle it; the city ain’t doing nothing to stop this; you ain’t gonna be talking to my kids any way you want to” and other ridiculous sayings that have created this crisis in our community. I don’t lay all the blame at the feet of these kids out here wildin’ out. There are so many adults who’ve failed in their roles such as parents, elected officials, so called community leaders, pastors, churches, fraternities/sororities, colleges/universities and nonprofit organizations. I recall back in 2016, when I attempted to start a Boys & Girls Club, I was told at a lunch meeting by a then-United Way VP that they would not assist me financially because they didn’t want any money taken from the YMCA. The next time I see that VP, I’m going to ask him how he thinks things have worked out.

My mind was blown last week when a recent local college graduate admitted to me that she didn’t know how the post office process worked. She said she had never bought a stamp, filled out an envelope or mailed a letter. The mental explosion continued as the young adult admitted she also didn’t know how to fill out a check. What are they teaching these kids? I spent an hour on the phone last Monday morning with a long-time local current teacher. She shared that making the rounds on social media are videos and a chat thread of an elementary and middle school fight club that takes place at the Bell Tower Green and Royal Giants parks. She shared that people have come from Winston-Salem to participate. Why is this happening and where are the parents? Why are parents paying cell phone bills for their kids but not aware of this fight club? A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from an upset resident, who stated she witnessed a car with four teens trying to elude police but ended up crashing into the entrance sign at the old mall on Statesville Boulevard. She said she saw the four get out of the car and run. The clerk at the BP station described to me that the shooters responsible for the Feb. 18 gunfire on a Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of the Statesville Boulevard Food looked like “little middle school kids running away.”

Back on March 26, several parents, who were in the afterschool pick up line at West Middle School, frantically called me, sent pictures and a cell phone video saying three Rowan County Sheriff’s deputies had a small female student in handcuffs in the back of their car. She could be heard crying and begging for her mother and grandmother. One parent was extremely angry at the deputies because she described them opening the door several times, insensitively telling the traumatized small child to calm down, and then slamming the door on her. It was explained to me that there were multiple law enforcement vehicles and two DSS workers on scene. Another angry parent said that after the child initially resisted the deputies, they took her down hard to the concrete and placed her in handcuffs. I posted the pictures and a partial video on my social media page. People will defend the deputies against the small child and say she may have been wildin’ out like others. If she was that much of a danger, why wasn’t the school locked down and the parking lot evacuated? If it was a mental health issue, was that level of force needed on the child? I spoke to a school board member, a county commissioner and the sheriff was made aware and asked for a response.

We are at DEFCON One.

 Kenneth L. (Kenny) Hardin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.