In Kevin's Memory
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| Courier-Life Publications |
If state Sen. Malcolm Smith has his way, Kevin Miller will not have died in vain. The 13-year-old freshman at Campus Magnet High School was killed when he was struck by a stray bullet fired by two suspected gang members.
Smith announced last week he would honor the teen by starting an anti-violence initiative. The program, SNUG, will be funded by $4 million in anti-crime funding from Albany. SNUG, “guns” spelled backward, calls for stopping gun violence with celebrities and anti-gang initiatives.
Two teens, allegedly Crips members, have been arrested and charged with murder. They reportedly were shooting at two Bloods. They killed one innocent young man and wounding another, according to police.
Two former gang members running the King of Kings program received a $500,000 SNUG grant. The goal is to get kids in southeast Queens off streets and out of gangs. They also want to teach kids how to resolve disputes without violence.
Combating gang violence will not be easy, but it is the battle that must be fought. We wish Smith and those working with him success.
‘A Terrible Accident’
State Sen. Hiram Monserrate and his attorney rolled the dice and won. Judge William Erlbaum ruled last Thursday afternoon that the Queens Democrat was not guilty of second-degree felony assault. He was accused of slashing the face of his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, with a broken glass.
He was convicted of one misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault for recklessly causing physical injury to Giraldo by dragging her though his apartment lobby after she was cut. The verdict may mean Monserrate will keep his Senate seat.
But the senators could pass a resolution to expel or censure him and political pressure is building on him to leave. That could affect the balance of power in the Senate, although a Queens Democrat would probably replace him.
Outside court after the verdict the senator said, “A terrible accident occurred to my girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, a person that I love, and I have to live with that forever. There were no winners here.”
We do not think this was an “accident.” We hope Monserrate knows he dodged a bullet and that he will see to it nothing like this happens again.
Smith announced last week he would honor the teen by starting an anti-violence initiative. The program, SNUG, will be funded by $4 million in anti-crime funding from Albany. SNUG, “guns” spelled backward, calls for stopping gun violence with celebrities and anti-gang initiatives.
Two teens, allegedly Crips members, have been arrested and charged with murder. They reportedly were shooting at two Bloods. They killed one innocent young man and wounding another, according to police.
Two former gang members running the King of Kings program received a $500,000 SNUG grant. The goal is to get kids in southeast Queens off streets and out of gangs. They also want to teach kids how to resolve disputes without violence.
Combating gang violence will not be easy, but it is the battle that must be fought. We wish Smith and those working with him success.
‘A Terrible Accident’
State Sen. Hiram Monserrate and his attorney rolled the dice and won. Judge William Erlbaum ruled last Thursday afternoon that the Queens Democrat was not guilty of second-degree felony assault. He was accused of slashing the face of his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, with a broken glass.
He was convicted of one misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault for recklessly causing physical injury to Giraldo by dragging her though his apartment lobby after she was cut. The verdict may mean Monserrate will keep his Senate seat.
But the senators could pass a resolution to expel or censure him and political pressure is building on him to leave. That could affect the balance of power in the Senate, although a Queens Democrat would probably replace him.
Outside court after the verdict the senator said, “A terrible accident occurred to my girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, a person that I love, and I have to live with that forever. There were no winners here.”
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