"Statistics say I will never walk across the stage for high school graduation, nor will I even step foot on a college campus.  Statistics say I will be a teenage father and I will never be married nor will I help to raise my children...but I say if we eliminate the violence, the statistics will eliminate themselves...most of all, it takes determination and education to know that in my family, the violence stops with me."

                                                                                                                 -Rashad Johnson, Chicago, Illinois, 2007.

"When my old gang members approached me about going back to the crew, I said no.  It was me being in a gang that had started all this trouble...I sure as heck wasn't going back."

                                                                                                       -Chauntee Kahele, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2007.

"I took the initiative and told the counselor everything that was going on in her house and why she was slacking off on her grades...When I got home that night I felt a great relief fall over me knowing that my friend was going to lead a normal life."                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                    -Sarah Melendez, El Paso, Texas, 2007.

"Violence is everywhere - not just with teens. I was not born bad or violent.  I had to be taught somewhere.  I didn't learn it on my own and I can't get rid of it by myself.  It's going to take the whole village but they say it has to begin with me."

                                             - Bart Gregory, Charlotte, North Carolina, 2006.

"Violence is trouble standing boldly in my home, my neighborhood, my city, and my country.  It no longer hides or lurks in the shadows; today, it walks right up to you and holds you in its grip.  Believe me; I know because it is still a part of who I am.  It is a miserable companion, especially at fourteen."

- Oliver Jackson, Atlanta, Georgia, 2006.

"Violence has kept me from doing a lot of the things that I wanted to do. Really, violence has kept a lot of people from having the childhood that they wanted."

- Taylor Robinson, Washington, D.C., 2005.

"Violence has also made people reflect and understand how painful it is to lose someone you love and care about. The causes of violence will never be forgotten and it will always follow those people who have committed violence."

-Daphne Arquz, Los Angeles, California, 2005.

"VIOLENCE. That word has affected my life in many ways. I would like to go outside and play, but my parents say "no" because they are afraid something is going to happen to me. It feels like prison. We are the prisoners and the gang members and drug dealers are the guards."

  -Antwain Sturdivant, Chicago, Illinois, 2004.

"How could I stop it? How could I, one person, stop something that every being on the planet is capable of?  I couldn't I couldn't stop violence anymore than I could stop time. Perhaps if I knew why people committed such hateful, unjustifiable acts of violence. Perhaps if I knew why someone would fire six bullets into the back of a fourteen year old, I could do something to stop it."

 -Nathan G. Jester, Atlanta, Georgia 2004.

“If I had a choice, I would choose to not be forgot, but to be remembered… for what I have accomplished and not for what I could’ve been."

-Joseph Gallegos, San Antonio, Texas, 2003.

“All it takes is one person to say no, one person to walk away, one person to not hit back.”

-Megan Sexton, Corpus Christi, Texas, 2003.

“Teach others to care for everyone they meet, whether a lifelong friend or a stranger on the street. Don’t judge others by how they appear…Don’t laugh, tease or sneer. Can you help end all of this, follow my advice and do more than just wish?”

-Paige Wolf, Charlotte, North Carolina, 2003.

“Education is the key to stopping violence. Providing good jobs and removing people from the Welfare rolls, enables them to acquire a piece of the American dream by becoming homeowners. Pride in community comes from owning a part of that community or feeling that you are a part of that community. Eliminating unemployment is a key to eliminating violence.”

-Derrell Randolph, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2003.

"I keep repeating the questions in my head over and over again. How has violence affected my life? I can tell you that violence has affected my life in many ways but the most common one would be that it makes my life in many ways but the most common one would be that it makes me angry at times and at other times I'm scared."    

-Egli Hila, Hartford, Connecticut. 2002  

“…I have been hurt before, but I never killed any of those people. Do you know why? Because the Lord gives me strength to build up faith and confidence that I need to get back on my feet and keep going.”  

 -Patricia Rojas, Boston, Massachusetts, 2001.

“A lot of cycles are created here. Not many people have high expectations for themselves. I don’t think that people realize that what happens around us is wrong. We have adapted to the negativity so much that when bad things happen, we don’t experience pain…this is a way of life for us.”     

-Juanita Ramos, New York, New York, 2000.

“Violence and drug abuse can be stopped by one person at a time.”   

 -Jennifer Lackey, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1999.

“Another cause of drug abuse and violence is the poor example of parents. When parents are busy in their own addiction, they do not even know if their son or daughter is dying on the streets. I think these are the leading causes of drug abuse and violence.”   

-Eric Diaz, Los Angeles, California, 1999.

“Communication is also very important. I…need to commit to expressing my feelings while being respectful even in angry situations. Holding in deep feelings is what drives people to kill other people.”  

-Aaron Mustifa, Atlanta, Georgia, 1998.

“The young people are in need of so much love and attention. So many aren’t getting it. Parents too busy making a living at the cost of a relationship with their children. The children need someone to look up to; someone to guide them; someone to give them limits. They need to know someone cares.”        

-Dante Taylor, Los Angeles, California, 1998.

 "What can I do to stop violence in my life? I can start by loving my neighbor and working together toward a common goal for peace, instead of competing for petty material things."     

  -Erica Merritt,Los Angeles, California, 1997.

"Everybody has a monster inside of them, just waiting abay, waiting for a chance to get out and cause chaos and havoc to everything surrounding it. There is also pureness, gentleness which tries to fight the moster and keep it safely hidden and caged."        

-April Rose Israel, Los Angeles, California,1996.