Annette John-Hall, in her Philadelphia Inquirer column, writes that more than 40 students showed up on a drizzly morning to hand out carnations and apologize for their classmates who made headlines when they beat a man during a flash-mob attack. The act of contrition received little to no media coverage.
I'm not at all surprised that curious members of the media from as far away as Europe and Canada called last week, asking about Philadelphia's recent flash-mob incidents.
Random acts of violence have broken out like a bad case of measles in many places recently. Boston, Milwaukee, London. And when disturbing patterns emerge, journalists scramble for quick-drill explanations of complicated problems. Problems that can never be explained in sound bites.
If only the same national attention could have been paid to the Mastery Charter School students who passed out flowers and cards of apology to pedestrians throughout Old City on Monday.
On a drizzly, threatening morning, more than 40 students showed up at 7 sharp to hand out 1,000 long-stemmed carnations and apologize to passersby on behalf of their classmates — you know, the mob of six teens who beat an innocent man in broad daylight at Fourth and Walnut last month.
Read Annette John-Hall's entire column at the Philadelphia Inquirer.