Having had the privilege of devoting 45 years of my life to teaching children of varying ages in first through eighth grade, I couldn't help but reflect on some of my experiences while viewing recent happenings in my hometown ("300 Men March seeks to reclaim neighborhoods, one corner at a time," May 6).
Early each year, I could quickly identify the "see me, hear, me, choose me" children who needed that extra reassurance that they did indeed matter to me. They were the ones, depending on the age, who would be the line leader, messenger, tutor, etc. Those jobs were taken seriously and the others looked up to these potential problems being turned into possible leaders. We all want to be seen and heard and know that we matter. That's what I was thinking as I watched the young people gathering and wanting to be noticed.
Last Monday, I was never more proud to say, "I live in Baltimore City." The coming together of thousands of all sorts of people from all over was certainly a show of what can begin to grow — if we are willing to work together as community. My prayer is that just as we saw what can happen when all groups work together, young people including gang members, community volunteers, police and church leaders can continue to brighten to the point where Baltimore can become a light for the nation. We can show the nation and the world that Lady Liberty's light has not gone out, that we are indeed a nation that still trusts in God, that believes all are created equal and that there must be liberty and justice for all.
When everyone has a seat at the table, a voice to be heard, a belief that they matter and have a say in what happens that insures their future, then we will see the ripple effect of throwing even one little pebble of hope into the mix for a brighter tomorrow. Then our young people will know that they matter and will actually have an important role to play in planning their future. It is imperative that they have an important part in contributing to the process and is absolutely of utmost importance that justice is done in bringing truth to the light so that the torch will once again glow with such a brilliance that we'll see pictures of it being beamed back to the earth from a satellite!
Grace A. Byerly, Baltimore