There Are No Children Here

7 Pages 1726 Words

m murder victims. Dead animals rot in the basements of some buildings. Bullet holes cover some buildings in the Chicago Housing Authority. Many apartments in various buildings have faulty electrical wiring and bad plumbing, which the Chicago Housing Authority will not fix. Many of the buildings' residents contribute to the dilapidation of their neighborhoods. Some residents dump their garbage wherever they please. Other residents steal appliances and fixtures from their buildings for personal use or to sell for money to pay for living expenses or to pay for drug habits. Life in the projects is stressful for the residents. LaJoe worries if her children will be injured while they are walking around in the neighborhood; gang wars can erupt at any time and anyone can be caught in the crossfire. The lure of joining a gang is very compelling to young children. Gangs give money to their members and potential members. Gangs offer a family structure that is not available in many impoverished homes. Pharoah has developed a stutter in response to the violence of the neighborhood. Whenever Pharoah tries to speak, his neck muscles strain and tense to attempt to form words. Pharoah is able to co...