Parental Alert: Watch those flags, check those profiles

No not the flag kids give their pledge of allegiance to every morning before the start of a school day. A trend is spreading wide and fast in Miami-Dade County that screams danger. The newest accessory for many children in our community appears to be "flags" or bandannas of varying colors which display affiliation to a certain crew. Don't be fooled parents, it ain't no fashion statement, and definitely is not as innocent as it looks.

Last Friday, Willie Mathis, Jr. (16 years old) was shot and killed outside of the Roman Pub Lounge in Miami Gardens after a graduation party for one of his schoolmates. Willie Jr.'s MySpace page default picture shows him holding a gun (HELLO! problem) and noted that he was "Black Flag B****." A Miami Herald report also quoted the father of the victim as saying "these guys in red scarves surrounded him."

*Note: The investigation continues, and this is not an effort to establish a motive. This is also not an effort to blame this child's parents solely for what has happened, but to bring forth a warning through observation.

Regardless of whether Willie Jr.'s assertion on his MySpace page was true or any other reason we can think of, NO CHILD deserves to be killed this way, and NO CHILDREN of ours should be so ready and willing to kill another. This young man's tragic death is but one of the examples in our community today that should put all parents on alert and ready to take action.

This is an official parental alert for our entire community. WE NEED TO WATCH WHAT OUR CHILDREN ARE DOING! and in some instances, demand a stop to it. Remember the days when you had NO business in your momma and daddy's house? I do! Talk with your children; make an effort to meet their friends and associates and leave an open and honest door open for them to walk through when they are having trouble. Those "flags" are becoming a dangerous symbol of violence that apparently our children do not understand until it is too late. Social networking sites are a way for teens and adults to express themselves, but they are slowly getting many of them in serious trouble. Get involved in their tech interests as well. You know your child better than anyone else. If there is a questionable effort to hide things from you, something is definitely wrong (take it from a former teenager in the tech age!).

Granted, there are many very hard-working parents out here who struggle every day to keep their households together, and do the best they can for their families. That's why we all have to fill in the gap when we can. Although the year has changed, the proverb still rings true: "it takes a whole village to raise a child." Time to awake from our slumber. Social responsibility is not dictated by where you live...it is just that, our responsibility!