Colleagues and Friends,
The beginning of summer has gotten off to a violent season. The violence and death hit the streets of Denver and the metropolitian area, and once again the violence and gang related forecast does not look good at all.
Back in the infamous “Summer of Violence” in 1993, it appeared like violence and gang related shootings and drive-bys were at an all time high.
Here is part of a news article from August 1993.
Denver Post August 8, 1993
“Denver’s 1993 “summer of violence” left 74 dead. Even though the number of homicides was lower that year than in encompassing years, the outcome was different. People were more frightened. Much of the violence was gang related and the violence had moved beyond the boundaries of the inner city.
The killing and injuring of innocent people had spread to the suburbs. Some of the deaths were from stray bullets, others intentional murder. There was also a randomness to the violence which increased the fear.
Gang members were killing people who were not gang-involved, giving the feeling anyone could be the next victim. Fear spiked and there was a run on guns at stores.”
The violence almost paraylzed the city in fear. Parents in some neighborhoods were sleeping in bath tubs out of fear of random shootings and drive-bys. It was not safe in some city parks and in some areas, gangs fought to rule their turf.
In March of 1994, I was appointed by Mayor Wellington Webb as the Manager of Safety. Looking back now, the challenges and violence issues plaguing the city became my responsibility to lead the city’s effirts to turn the violence and shootings around. What I did not know, I learned real fast. Only by the Grace of God!
Today we facing a possible return to the same kind of violence and death on our streets. Homicides and shootings cannot be predicted, but looking at historical statistical data, one can see similiar tracks taking place.
As faith leaders and pastors I believe we have an obligation to stand up and rebuke the evil influences and powers that want to rob our city of our youth. It is incumbent upon women and men of God to declare our city an “evil free zone!”
I am asking if there are pastors who would like to join with me in planning a prayer vigil in front of city hall or in Civic Center Park. I believe a public stand against evil and gang violence is necessary and spiritually important to do.
If you are interested, please hit reply for a short planning session. Indicate what day and morning or early afternoon is better for you. As a pastor or faith leader, we must unite in prayer. Perhaps we can plan an event for later in the summer as well or if your church is planning anti-violence events, we might be able to support your event.
Please join with in praying to establish an “Evil free Zone” in the Denver metro area. The violence, shootings, and death on the streets is a metro wide concern.
Please pass this email on to your ministry associates, youth leaders, and others in your network that can join us in prayer.
“Just praying” is “just talking with God,” or just letting Gid know we need His Divine intervention in a problem that we cannot solve without help from the Holy Spirit.
Hermanos que hablan español, necesidad su ayuda tambien. Su oraciones y participante como pastors es necessario. Envita a otro pastors y leders de fe.
We must also pray for Chief Rovert White and the police department that Grace and Wisdom would be felt in our city. Also, keeping the current manager of safety, and the mayor in our prayers.
Here is a vrief rundown of the violence on Memorial Day weekend.
Is Denver headed for a summer of violence?
“We can’t predict how the summer is going to play out. Last summer we had some issues early, and we were able to get our arms around them. The incidents in the last 48 hours are unfortunate, but they all appear to be isolated.”
Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman
Between 8 p.m. Friday night and 2:30 a.m. Sunday (just over 30 hours), five people died from gunshot wounds, four were wounded and one woman was stabbed in the Denver metro area. If you’ve been in Denver long enough, it’s impossible to hear that kind of statistic and not immediately think about the“summer of violence” in 1993 when 74 people were killed, or even last year’s decade-high homicide count. But police say that this recent spate of violence(including the death of a 10-year-old boy in Aurora) are all isolated incidents and don’t indicate a growing pattern. Here’s the rundown:
+ Friday: “Denver Police call triple slaying in Park Hill ‘drug deal gone extremely bad'”, “Aurora family mourns shooting death of 10-year-old”
+ Saturday: “Adams County strip club shooting leaves one man dead”
+ Sunday: “Woman shot, another stabbed, in separate incidents Sunday in Denver”
+ This is an issue that affects the entire metro area, so take some time to read through Tom McGhee’s piece on this weekendand what’s to come.
+ In Chicago, where the epidemic of violence continues nearly unchecked, the New York Times followed a wave of shootingsthat saw 64 people shot, six fatally, in just one weekend.
Blessings,
Rev Fidel “Butch” Montoya
Executive Director
Latino Faith Initiative
H.S. Power and Light Ministries
Denver, Colorado 80212
hs********************@ou*****.com
303-981-7055 cell~text
