Tragedy or Redemption: It is Our Choice

Glass Street is a battleground where two wars are simultaneously being waged.  One is a war of territory and vengeance, a war spawned by poverty and its accompanying afflictions.  This is the war of Chattanooga’s Vice Lords, Gangster Disciples, Bloods and Crips . The other war is the war of community.  A story of people coming together to combat the disinvestment that has plagued their neighborhood for decades.  Late last Wednesday night the latest shooting in Chattanooga’s gang combat took the life of Mr. Orlandus Metcalf, a 71 year old man who has been a part of the Glass Street community since 1986.  He was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting just blocks off Glass Street at his Taylor Street home.  Mr. Metcalf’s grandson is a validated gang member and lived at Mr. Metcalf’s residence until April 2015.  In the news segment below, community activist and devout soldier in the community’s war of redemption, Gail McKeel speaks to the tragedy sweeping our streets.  There is a human price to all this.  East Chattanooga youth’s forced familiarity with such violence is crippling a generation of our citizens.  As the community works to rally around the family of Mr. Metcalf, let us all reflect on what we can do personally to win the war of redemption and end the war of violence.  Because if it is going to happen, it is going to take us all.

WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports