Gunshots, popping like copper-jacketed kernels in the air, dark puddles of congealing blood on city streets, bullet-scarred buildings, cars and bodies. Bagdad, Kabul, Mogadishu, you may be thinking. think again; this place is less exotic, but increasingly as dangerous — inner city, U.S.a.

What affliction is causing the inner-city streets of America to become festering sores, oozing with violence? I could qualify as an expert witness to such violence, having sacrificed a good deal of my own blood on the altar of a city sidewalk as a police officer. Some would blame poverty, easier access to guns, lack of opportunity, all of the above and more.

Those are certainly legitimate problems. but hasn’t poverty always existed? And if you believe Jesus, who said: “You will always have the poor among you,” it always will. I grew up in the housing projects of 30-odd years ago, yet I can’t recall a single incident of gun violence.

True enough, guns are more accessible nowadays. however, it takes a certain mindset to pull the trigger while pointing one at another human being. so how did these young people, responsible for so much of the violence, get to that mindset?

Lack of opportunity is definitely a problem, and the high dropout and teenage pregnancy rates in our inner cities surely intensifies that lack. nevertheless, people don’t shoot and kill each other because they can’t find a job.

Each time the latest round of inner city violence committed by young people is reported, the question I keep coming back to is — where are the parents?

America’s inner cities are suffering from a deficiency that is causing a social scurvy, and the nutrient so sorely lacking is positive parental guidance. the deficiency has been generations in the making, and it is steadily getting worse.

What’s causing this deficiency? Is it a lack of parenting skills? or is it just plain, old-fashioned laziness, indifference and irresponsibility, that leave the task of parenting to teachers, social workers, juvenile probation officers and, sadly, the streets? Very often, many of these same parents will blame everyone and everything but themselves when their kids do get into trouble.

As the father of three, I don’t recall ever having taken a class on parenting, but I instinctively knew that letting my kids run the streets wasn’t in their best interest, and I made a point of knowing where they were and what they were doing.

Is there a cure for this social scurvy? a treatment for this deficiency of parental guidance? a proverbial fruit that can be added to society’s diet to lessen the symptoms? If so, it doesn’t grow in the groves of government programs and assistance. the seeds need to be planted and nurtured in the homes.

Perhaps if parents are made accountable for their children, the children will be made accountable to their parents. When a kid is charged with a crime of violence, bring the parent or parents into court and ask why. Adopt a zero-tolerance policy if a parent is receiving government assistance of any kind. If one of their kids is convicted of a violent crime, they automatically lose the assistance.

The Erie Housing Authority has implemented a similar policy by evicting tenants if they or anyone living in their apartment is involved in criminal activity. this zero-tolerance policy has had great success curbing crime in the housing projects.

These actions may be a bitter pulp for some to swallow, but the time has come for drastic treatment, and if it has to be force-fed — so be it.

TERRY DAWLEY is a bail agent, a retired Erie police officer and a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Published 10:55pm Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Free prostate cancer screenings are being offered to men ages 40 and offer from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Pike County Health Department.

The screenings will be conducted by Urology Centers of Alabama, which offered a similar screening in April 2010. at that time, 87 men took advantage of the service. Of those, 16 percent had some abnormality and at least two had positive biopsies, said Dr. Tom Moody.

“Screening for prostate cancer is very important because, like other cancers, when detected early, it is curable. if prostrate cancer is not detected early, it is not curable,” Moody said. “Prostate cancer continues to be the second leading cause of deaths among men. In 2010, 600 men in Alabama died from prostate cancer and many of those deaths could have been prevented.”

Moody said early prostate cancer has no symptoms and, when the symptoms appear, it is often too late.

“Our goal is to reduce the number of deaths from prostate cancer through early detection,” Moody said. “We can best do that by prostate screenings for men ages 40 and over. we are trying to create the same mindset in men that women have regarding their annual checkups.”

The prostate screenings are free so there are no insurance forms to fill up or financial disclosures required.

“If the screenings find an abnormality and the individual doesn’t have the ability to pay, we will do whatever follow up is necessary,” Moody said. “We have done a lot of biopsies at the Urology Centers of Alabama and surgeries, too. we aren’t going to screen an individual and find a problem and say, ‘good luck.’ We’re going to do whatever needs to be done.”

The prostate screening is a simple procedure that includes a blood screening and a rectal examination.

“The screening only takes 10 minutes and it saves lives,” Moody said.

Urology Centers of Alabama has been conducting free prostate screenings since 2006 and to date 2,582 men in 14 counties have been screened.

“And, what is so gratifying is that many of those who were screened for the first time are returning and bringing friends with them,” Moody said. “That give us an opportunity to provide a continuity of care as far as prostate cancer is concerned.”

In 2006, Alabama received an “F” when the National Prostrate Council Coalition graded the states on how they took care of prostate cancer.

“That really bugged me that we got an ‘F,’” Moody said. “At that time, Alabama didn’t have an insurance bill that required insurance companies to pay for prostate screenings. we got an insurance bill passed and also had an opportunity to talk to legislators and got some money flowing to pay for some of the free screenings.”

Moody expressed appreciation to the Pike County Health Department for its partnership in the free prostate screening program.

“Alabama has an outstanding health department and it has worked out to be a great partnership between us and the health departments,” he said. “We like to believe that together we are doing a little good.”

PETALING JAYA: In severe cases of post-natal depression, mothers harm themselves and their babies, said a consultant psychiatrist.

Prof Dr Hussain Habil said it had also come to his notice that some very disturbed mothers had even tried to flush their newborns down the toilet.

He said such examples depict a serious situation when women are faced with the problem and not getting the proper help or treatment.

Dr Hussain said it was unfortunate that many Malaysians turn to traditional healing without understanding the actual cause of the problem.

“By the time they come to hospital, their condition had deteriorated,” he said, commenting on the incidents of six mothers suffering from post-natal depression who were chased out of their homes by husbands who could not live with their condition.

The incidents were highlighted by the MCA public service and complaints department on Friday.

Dr Hussain advised husbands and other family members to refer the new mothers to an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist or a psychiatrist for treatment as early as possible before their condition deteriorated.

He said post-natal depression was quite common and were easily treated but society’s mindset has to change.

He said as many as 10% to 20% of mothers suffer from some level of post partum blues, such as irritability, paranoia and not eating or sleeping well.

Early symptoms of post-natal depression include mothers not being able to care for themselves and their babies, not wanting to eat, irritable and displaying regressing behaviours, he said.

“With proper treatment, changes could start to be seen even within a week as patients normally begin to eat and sleep normally,” he said, adding that it usually takes two to three months for one to recover.

Dr Hussain said it was important for family members to know that the condition was common and that the mothers were not schizophrenic as some thought.

“While we have medication to treat the mothers, the more important thing is tender loving care and support from husbands,” he said.

When family members reject them or put them down, it could worsen their depression, he said.

“The biggest obstacle to the recovery of the patient is when people hush up the case and not refer them to a doctor because of the social stigma,” he said.