‘Prayer holds the key to everything’: Youngstown clergy lead prayers to end violence
Clergy and community leaders organized a prayer walk Sunday at the site of numerous violent incidents.
Members of United Pastors, Clergy and Community Leaders of Greater Youngstown Against the Violence met Sunday afternoon at the corner of Market Street and Avondale Avenue.
The group led various prayers for victims of violence, for young people committing violence and for the safety of the city’s neighborhoods, and prayers against the spirit of retaliation.
Rev. Kenneth Simon, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, said collective efforts are required to curb violence in the city.
“All we want is peace, a peaceful environment where we can raise our kids and live happily. We are here to offer an alternative to settle disputes of any kind,” he said.
Simon said progress to control violence in the city might come slowly at first, but the more people get involved, the faster the message can spread.
In the last several years, there has been an increase in violence, most of it related to warring factions or gangs within the city, he said. And some of those acts of violence are retaliatory.
Simon said there exists a culture of violence in which young people resort to street justice instead of going through the proper channels to resolve conflicts. They also lack the conflict resolution skills to resolve those issues, and instead respond with pride.
Simon said families and parental issues must also be addressed, since that is where much of the violent behavior begins.
“Our goal is to reach the parents and provide them with the resources they need. Although some parents work hard and do their best, their children still fall into this culture,” said Simon.
City Police Chief Carl Davis said there are several initiatives in place to deter violence in the city, but faith is another strong method.
“I am a man of faith, and I believe this is another effective method of combating violence. I believe that prayer holds the key to everything,” he said.
“We also have a mentoring program that is currently in effect to support the youths, in which 40 volunteers are willing to go talk to these young men who are involved in violence.”
State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, encouraged Youngstown voters to elect officials who can make a difference.
“We need to get the guns out of the hands of young kids,” she said. “As a lawmaker, I will continue to push for guns to be taken out of the streets.”
Former Valley Democratic lawmaker Bob Hagan said there are too many guns on the streets and in the hands of “crazy people” — especially people who can not take care of them.
“I want to ensure there is peace and tranquility in Youngstown again. One of the ways we can end violence in the community is to confiscate the rapid firearms on the street,” Hagan said.
Mike Ray, the city’s 4th Ward council member, sent a strong message to gun violence perpetrators.
“We want these people perpetrating this violence to know that violence is no longer tolerated in our city,” he said.
“As a council, we have been discussing how to end violence in our city, but it requires collective efforts to crack down on violence, and we don’t have all the solutions. So we need to work together, and faith plays a huge role,” he said.