We must all consider ourselves neighbors

My days as a suburban mom are a blur of car pools and sporting events. During the tour, as we listened to mothers talk about their fear for their children, I realized how oblivious I've been to this problem occurring only miles from my home. Parenting concerns for me are about "screen-time" and cellphones and not my children's death at the hands of another child.

I was struck at the resilience of the young people we spoke with, and horrified at their perception that people didn't care. I thought of the grief counseling our communities receive upon the death of a child and wondered whether they receive the same. Finally, I looked at a group of boys, and saw my son and his friends. If someone started shooting in my neighborhood, I'd take action.

Last weekend, my husband and I took our kids to lunch at the Holland Community Center in Dorchester. It was fun, and the food was great. It won't solve the problem of youth violence, but I'm starting to think of these Boston neighbors as my neighbors too. Maybe it's a start to just show that we do care and will not be so oblivious to this problem in our neighborhood.

Josie Greene
Newton