Summer Madness

May 12, 2010

I have been a serious music lover as far back as I can recall, and I recently heard Kool and The Gang's 1974 R&B instrumental smash hit Summer Madness, after not hearing it for a long time. Although I do not know what Kool and The Gang had in mind when they selected this song's title, I do know that as summer 2010 approaches temperatures will begin to go up, car and house windows will begin to come down, clothing will begin to come off, schools will close for their summer breaks, and many of our nation's young people will have an abundance of unsupervised time on their hands. They will spend much of that unsupervised time with one another, which is packed with potential for summer madness, if you know what I mean.

A primary part of Protecting Black Life's mission is to help bring an end to abortion, the Leading cause of death in the African American community. If we are diligent and effective in the parenting and mentoring relationships we have with our young people, and if they really utilize the tools we impart to them, I believe we can reduce and eventually eliminate abortion altogether!

To say abortion's impact on the African American community has reached epidemic proportions is an understatement. Consider the most recent (2005) national abortion statistics for the White, Brown (Hispanic) and Black (African American) communities in the U.S., and see if you come to the same conclusions we've come to:

• Non-Hispanic White:
  2,303,000 - Live White Births
  415,000 - Induced White Abortions
  (Approximately 1 Abortion to every 5.5 Live Births)
  

• Hispanic:
  986,000 - Live Brown Births
  263,000 Induced Brown Abortions
  (Approximately 1 Abortion to every 3.75 Live Births)
  

• Non-Hispanic Black:
  587,000 - Live Black Births
  452,000 - Induced Black Abortions
  (Approximately 1 Abortion to every 1.3 Live Births)
  

(National Vital Statistics Report: Vol. 58, No. 4 - Oct. 14, 2009)

Let's examine abortion's toll on the African American community even closer. In 2005, according to National Vital Statistics Report: Vol. 58, No. 8, released Dec. 23, 2009, there were 292,808 Black deaths from all other causes (excl. abortion).

Look at the math…

  587,000 Live Black births
- 744,808 Black deaths (i.e., 452,000 induced abortions + 292,808 all other causes)
-157,808 (Deficit of Black Life)

If the African American community is going to continue to exist, we must stop this madness! I contend that one way to accomplish this is to prevent as much of the summer madness as possible. Let me offer a few practical ways to accomplish this:

• Slow down and spend time with the young people we encounter.
• Spend time talking to our young people, as well as their friends and acquaintances, helping them to know how special they are and encouraging them to save themselves for marriage. I'm convinced that this will help prevent them from contributing to these staggering statistics.
• Listen to them as they share their thoughts and feelings.
• Watch their body language closely as they share with you. Be attentive to signals which communicate things they may not be saying.
• Pray that our young people really take the instruction, correction and freedom they receive seriously. And that they make good choices.
• Know where your young people are and what they're doing. I'm not suggesting that we micro-manage our young people, or keep a Gestapo level grip on them. But summer is just around the corner, and it is Protecting Black Life's desire that your summer be filled with summer gladness, rather that summer sadness or summer madness.

Protecting Black Life has reached 40,495 people nationally and internationally so far this year with the message of life (excl. people reached via our Radio, TV, and Facebook outreach efforts), and we're happy to report that people are listening! They are shifting their mindsets and beginning to join us in spreading the message of life with others.

Your generous donation can assist us in continuing our efforts to help make this summer one that consists of as little madness as possible.

Protecting Black Life,
Arnold M. Culbreath
Urban Outreach Director
Protecting Black Life
An outreach of Life Issues Institute, Inc.
www.protectingblacklife.org
513.729.3600