Special Message to Parents and Teachers
- Edward D. Sargent
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
Why “Crime Is Just Dumb”
Is the Right Message for Today’s Young People
Bullets have been the leading cause of death among America's Black children for decades unfortunately; but in the year 2020, bullets became the leading cause of death among all American children.
Injuries from firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens
(Ages: Birth to 19 years old)
America now is so dangerous for millions of children that doctors such as Dr. Annie Andrews, a South Carolina pediatrician, bemoan the overwhelming casualties that ambulances bring to their hospitals. When doctors see ambulances arriving, they fear that paramedics will wheel in yet another young person, dead on arrival.
Ambulance after wailing ambulance creates a recurring, real-life horror movie; it’s just too much for a lot of doctors. In an interview with Reuters, the international news service, Andrews stated:
"I never imagined I would take care of so many children with bullet holes in them.”
In past decades, most child deaths in America resulted from unintentional injuries (like car accidents, fires and drownings) as well as diseases and fatal medical conditions.
Now, child deaths are more intentional. There’s a pandemic of children killing children. Something must be done to stop them.
Do you believe we can save children from violence? I do. My name is Tony Jackson. I spent 25 years in a violent and bloody prison. I believe that parents, teachers and caring people like me can help stop children from carrying guns and shooting bullet holes into each other’s heads, faces, hearts and other parts of their bodies.
Stopping the violence starts by addressing root causes, such as hateful, angry and ugly words that children call each other. Yes, that’s right. A lot of times, it’s just that simple—name calling. I’m sure you are well aware that ugly words often lead to nasty arguments; nasty arguments lead to bloody fights; and some fights escalate to gunfire.
Pow! Pow! Pow!
Being the loving and responsible parents and teachers that you are, I’m sure you instruct young people to never call one another ugly names like, “dumb,” “dummy,” “stupid” or “ignorant.”
But did you know that millions of Black, White, Hispanic, Asian and other youngsters across America avidly listen to songs that encourage them to act dumb, stupid and ignorant? Some of the music features performers who brag about living the “thug life” as they rake in millions of dollars. The titles of some of these pulsating and lyrically provocative songs are:
Those songs have the power to influence the impressionable and naïve minds of our children. The musical performers who make such music don’t tell them the consequences of what might happen to them if they get carried away by the poisonous words in the songs. This book counteracts the poison being pushed into the tender spirits of our children.
The title of this book is appropriate for today’s young people, because it speaks directly to them. Crime Is Just Dumb: A Former Teenage Inmate Teaches Young Adults How to Avoid His Mistakes and Soar provides young people strong advice and compelling insights drawn from my personal experiences and observations. When I was a teenager, I sold drugs. I was wrongfully convicted of murdering my drug supplier, a man not much older than me. I was incarcerated for 9,125 days (25 years). The wisdom I gained through my tragic experiences will help students and imprisoned juveniles better understand the results of behaving irresponsibly. You see, if I had been smart enough to avoid criminal behavior—rather than glorifying and embracing it—I would not have been associated with the drug supplier.
Thus, this book was written by someone who knows firsthand that Crime Is Just Dumb. Now I’m a grown man over 40 years old. I am sharing my story to save young people from making the same mistakes that led me to prison. This book is for all children and young adults, especially those who are already in serious trouble or at risk.
My mission is not to frighten them.
My mission is to enlighten them.
The Academic Value of Crime Is Just Dumb
Crime Is Just Dumb increases students’ vocabulary by using words and terms that may be new to them. A glossary is provided at the end of the book. Lesson review questions and classroom discussion prompts are included to encourage group discussions. These academic features give Crime Is Just Dumb robust educational value.
In summary, Crime Is Just Dumb supports your efforts to captivate the attention of young people. I am sure that once you have their attention you will be able to connect with them on a deeper level and better teach them how to live safe, productive and crime-free lives. I fully believe that this book will help you help students overcome challenges and soar
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