Cascade Media Group had a discussion with Bishop Tony Caldwell about the high murder rate in Kansas City, particularly over the last three years. Bishop Caldwell, who is deeply involved in grassroots community work, expressed his frustration at the rising homicide rate and the lack of effective action to address it. He highlighted the tragic fact that in the past five years, 21 children under the age of 13 have been murdered due to senseless violence.
Bishop Caldwell criticized the top-down management approach of the city’s establishment, including the police department and City Hall. He argued for a bottom-up approach, involving the youth who are actually out on the streets. He lamented that while many meetings discuss what should be done for the youth, these discussions rarely involve the youth themselves. Carlos Nelson agreed, noting that the streets and even the police are different now and that the youth must be given truthful answers about their problems.
