Father's Day: A Time to Pray and Teach Non-Violence

Father's Day weekend can be a time to pray for peace and to teach nonviolence.  Back in April, a little girl was gunned down in a hail of bullets in St. Petersburg.  This tragedy saddened all who heard about it and the ongoing violence in our city has disturbed most of us.  Earlier this year, a small group of us met with Lisa Wheeler-Brown to listen to her story about the murder of her son, Cabretti. He was murdered last September. Every murder, whether a little girl, a teenager or a senior citizen, is a tragedy and the violence must stop.

As we prepare for Father's Day, I urge you to continue to do three things:  pray for the families of those who have died and also pray for peace.  Second, live and teach nonviolence in your family and in the community. Lastly, find practical ways to come together as a community to end the violence. 

In honor of Cabretti, the young man who was murdered last September, his mother's foundation has adopted 1.25 miles of road to keep clean.  The road that the foundation will keep clean is from 22nd Ave South and 34th Street South to 22nd Avenue South and 49th Street South.  The foundation held its first two clean up days in November 2008 and February, 2009.  The adopt a mile program has installed signs displaying the Cabretti Wheeler-Fortner Foundation's name.  Keep Pinellas Beautiful requires that the foundation complete a clean up once every quarter.  The next clean up is scheduled for this Saturday, June 20.

I invite you to join me on Saturday (8:00 AM) as we do our small part in trying to stop the violence.  Participating in this Clean-up Day, June 20, would be a step forward, honoring the memory of this young man, Cabretti, and calling attention to the ongoing violence in our city.  Your participation in this Clean-up Day, on the day before Father's Day, may help prevent other families from losing their children. (For more details, email me at douglashmcmahon@gmail.com)  Whether you live in St. Pete or not, this Father's Day, pray for peace and look for an opportunity to teach nonviolence.

I invite you to join me on Saturday (8:00 AM) as we do our small part in trying to stop the violence.  Participating in this Clean-up Day, June 20, would be a step forward, honoring the memory of this young man, Cabretti, and calling attention to the ongoing violence in our city.  Your participation in this Clean-up Day, on the day before Father's Day, may help prevent other families from losing their children. (For more details, email me at douglashmcmahon@gmail.com)  Whether you live in St. Pete or not, this Father's Day, pray for peace and look for an opportunity to teach nonviolence.