What would you do if you learned that your lover was aware that he was H.I.V.-positive? What if he knew his results and he never told you? This unfortunate scenario is the story of 16 women who met 29-year-old, Andre P. Davis.

Last Friday, a county grand jury charged him on nine felony counts of assault for having sex on at least nine occasions with four women in Warren County between December 2010 and January 2011, with the knowledge that he was a carrier of H.I.V. Like the majority of states, Ohio law requires H.I.V.-positive individuals to disclose that information to their partners.

According to the Dayton Daily News:

Davis, a former professional wrestler known as the “Gangsta of Love,” had worked at the Macy’s customer calling center in Deerfield Twp.

Prosecutor David Fornshell said Davis faces 72 years in prison if convicted on the Warren County crimes…

He is already under indictment by a Hamilton County grand jury on 15 counts of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for having sex with 12 women there and not disclosing that he was HIV positive.

You’ve got to wrap it up! Some people are spiteful and have nothing to live for and won’t think twice about infecting you! There is no cure for H.I.V./AIDS- only treatment. Is your life worth it?

Should individuals face criminal charges for not revealing their H.I.V. status to sexual partners?

From sexual assaults to robbery to murder, Craigslist is becoming a common terrority for criminals looking for opportunities to prey on victims. Last evening, as I was contemplating selling my Canon XTi on Craigslist for a few extra dollars, I had a weird premonition to research the site’s history.

For the past five years, Craigslist-related crime and lawsuits have been on the rise. 

(2007, Minneapolis): Katherine Olson was looking for work after graduating summa cum laude from St. Olaf College with a dual degree in theater and Hispanic studies. She responded to a “nanny posting” and visited a home for an interview and was killed by a Ruger .357 Magnum Blackhawk revolver.

(2008, Grands Rapids) Anne Marie Linscott, 49, advertised online in “job listings” for a hitman to kill her lover’s wife. She pleaded guilty to the murder-for-hire scheme.

(2009, Boston) A 22-year-old Boston University student, Phil Markoff, was arrested in the death of, Julissa Brisman, 26, who advertised “massage services” and was killed in a luxury hotel room.

(2010-2011, Long Island) Four prostitutes strangled by the so-called “Craigslist Killer,” who arranged to meet them via the listings posted on Craigslist. More bodies have turned up since, and NYPD now says the suspect may be a former NYPD police officer.

(2011, Atlanta) The gunman in a deadly home invasion robbery was sentenced to 109 years in prison for the April 28th shooting death of a man who offered a ring for sale on Craigslist.

Law authorities express a concern for these growing cases and advise that if you make arrangements with an individual to always do the following steps: 1). Meet them in public place such as mall and 2). Never go by yourself.

Just when you thought it was safe, someone comes along to remind you of how ridiculous some of us can be. With the weather warming up, we can expect there to be an increase in gun violence. You might think that staying indoors could enhance your odds of staying out of the way of unintentional gunfire. Especially if you are with some people working on something positive like say… filming a home video. That would be a good idea for someone looking to have a fun and safe spring, at least that is what one might think.

A Columbus man found out the hard way that that is not necessarily true. While recording an amateur film in their basement, 23-year-old Sam Vestey was shot in the leg, according to 10TV. His injuries were not life-threatening and there were no charges filed. Police said that the shooting was an accident. Apparently, the filmmakers were unaware that the gun was loaded.

The men were recreating a scene from a Spiderman movie and the gun was being used as a prop. I’m sure we have all seen enough Spiderman episodes to know that Spidey always has to rough up a few goons before he deals with the supervillain.

Apparently, this time the villain forgot to check the chamber before doing battle with our hero. They just don’t make superheroes like they used to!

For all of my national neighbors who have not been to Columbus, I think you should know a little more about where this shooting took place. Clintonville in a township that sits within city limits and it has its own police force, fire squad, and even local government. In short, Clintonville is a relatively safe place to live … or even shorter- it is NOT the ghetto.

I cannot help but to wonder had something like this was to take place in the hood, would there have been any charges filed then? Something tells me that it would not have been so easily dismissed.

A pawn shop burglary in Atlanta occurs yet again. This is a very dangerous situation for the streets of Atlanta because you never know where the guns are going to end up, or whose  hands they will end up in. Whoever did this break in doesn’t care who they sell the weapons to, as long as they sell the weapons.  When a 12 yr old boy can purchase a gun faster than they can buy Now&Laters, that’s an issue for parents, schools, and the public. I sure wouldn’t want my son buying a gun from off the street.

Columbus’s murder rate seems to follow an unfortunate pattern. Every two or three years, it spikes, and unfortunately this is one of those years. This morning, on the Columbus eastside, a 47 year old man was shot in the head, and sadly, he did not make it. Although the official police report has not been released, the initial report suggests that the incident was likely a robbery. This most recent homicide brings the years total to 101. That is a staggering number, and even more so when taken into consideration that there is still an entire month left in the year, and last year’s total was short of 90. 101 might not seem like a large number until it is taken into account that each one of those 101 represents a human life.

I can certainly sympathize with the family of the victim, being that this has been a tragic year for my family as well, as we were forced to bury one of our own. However, I find myself questioning the circumstance and how people have become so callous that another human life could be considered expendable in order to support their own. Every time I hear about a killing, I am overwhelmed with a feeling of disbelief. I have grown up with people who committed some unspeakable crimes, and I have seen how, as time passed, unspeakable crimes were committed against them.  Be it because of having been murdered or being sentenced to prison for committing a murder, I have lost family members and friends forever, because they could not escape the vicious cycle of generational poverty and the violence that inevitably accompanies it.

Having intimately known people who have lost or taken a life, I am able to see the humanity on either side of the issue. I was fortunate enough to have found an outlet, where as, so many others will not be so fortunate. This means that I am living proof that those outlets have and still do exist. So while I still have breath, I make it my personal responsibility to be someone who others can look to when they feel they have no place else to go.

According to a new report, a Chicago neighborhood in the area of West Lake Street is the most dangerous neighborhood in America. Your chances of becoming a victim here within 12 months are 1 in 4.

This data was recently released and made public by ABC News, which ranked the 25 most dangerous neighborhoods in the United States.

Other neighborhoods where crime is most likely to occur includes four areas in Atlanta, Georgia, two neighborhoods in Memphis, Tennessee and one in Chattanooga.

One neighborhood in Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio, made the list as well, in addition to one neighborhood in Galveston and Fort Worth, Texas.

Las Vegas, Nevada is home to three of America’s most dangerous neighborhoods, which ranked at #3, #4 and #8.

These statistics were produced by NeighborhoodScout.com, taken from FBI crime data and every local law enforcement agency in the country, looking at neighborhoods in America based on zip codes where there are high rates of murder, robbery, rape, and car theft.

Clark County Metro gang unit is currently investigating a Las Vegas Valley shooting. Tuesday, three teens were gunned down at a Winchester Community and Community Center, injuring two boys and one girl. Clark County Police Department says that the shooting could have been prevented, however, the area had not been patrolled for gang activity since April.

In Las Vegas there are not enough metro officers to police the streets and all the areas where crime occurs. Also, metro police officers respond to their own service calls instead of other areas, therefore, many locations are not patrolled, particularly parks.

Clark County Park Police Association President Tim Polk told ABC Action News that violent incidents have increased in Clark County parks and the association’s 15 employees no longer patrol those areas.

Unfortunately, that means more youth being gunned down and dying in the streets because of lack of enforcement and patrol.

Authorities are currently looking for at least two suspects and say that there is a good chance the shooting was gang related.

The violence is increasing in Columbus.  There has been 33 percent more murders in Columbus than a year ago, 61 at this point compared to 46 at this time last year.  It’s the end of July 2010 and the year is only halfway out. The most significant thing I feel that needs attention is the dramatic rise in homicide in the city of Columbus.

Katrel Parker was the latest victim of gun violence this year, and his being 16 years old is sadly not uncommon with the recent trend that has left a streak of families mourning these adolescent boys. What is even more disturbing than the rise in young violence is the collective response being proposed by our city officials.

On the front page of the Friday, July 23rd issue of the Columbus Dispatch, there is an article about the late Katrel Parker and the article was written with a journalist’s analysis of the violent summer in general. The title of the article reads “Mayor, police chief announce new ‘community response teams’ to combat growing violence.” I am baffled of how “combating” violence can be an effective strategy to stop the blood shed that has become common place. When I think “combat” the only thing that comes to mind is even more blood shed and incarcerations. The report appeared to remove the human element from the social conditions that leads to violence such as poverty and joblessness.   The manner in which this phenomenon has been reported leads me to believe that maybe the reporters, law enforcers and city officials are just as lost as the young men who are being plagued with violence.

The language that is being used by city officials to correspond to the recent violence seems to be distant and uncaring.  What did the paper report as far as the city’s response plan? Their response plans fail to take into consideration that killers are bred not born. The social, political, and environmental circumstances that produce pistol toting 16 year olds are the real killers and people living in working class communities are its most likely victims. Why then are these young men being labeled the problem? Could it be that we as a community have let it happen?

I did not know Katrel Parker, nor did I know the two young men who have been accused of his murder, however I felt it because the shooting took place in broad day light directly in front of the house of one of the members of our Columbus team who happens to have three children of her own.  If we do not reclaim our communities and take responsibility for our youth, this violence will continue to occur. We need to have a collective voice in demanding that our concerns get addressed with compassion and first we must have compassion for each other.  We also need creative solutions that come from the people who live in these communities. Ultimately, we need an attentive compassionate community and we are responsible for creating our dreams.

Have people truly lost their minds? It seems that people find more and more pleasure in the suffering of others. If it was not for mean spirited jokes, there might not be any comedy at all. I am no different than anyone else, I have certainly laughed at a friend that took a spill (after I helped them up of course), but I wouldn’t try to record it and profit off of a low point in someone else’s life. Unfortunately for people who get locked up in Franklin County, everyone does not feel the same.

There is a weekly publication in my city called Slammer which displays anyone who has been jailed in the county in the previous seven days. For only $1, anyone who has the whim can pick up a copy of Slammer and know who is in jail and for what. There are even stories in it that highlight popular cases and they are often written in a humorous tone.  So I guess we shouldn’t be surprised to walk in any corner store in the ghetto and see some young brothers laughing about one of their boys having his face on the front page; each of them knowing that it could be either of them in next weeks.

I guess the problem is not the paper but the trend that makes the paper possible. The question is how to get those young brothers to start getting angry about their friend being arrested for whatever reason. What they do not realize is that they are the ones that can turn this entire thing around, my only question is how to get them to realize it.

In D.C. for the Youth PROMISE Day of Action, I was invited to watch the documentary “Crips and Bloods: Made in America”, (directed by Stacy Peralta and produced by actor Cash Warren and NBA superstar Baron Davis) at a special screening hosted by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) on Capitol Hill. The screening was held to kickoff a series of events in support of the Youth Promise Act national day of actio.

As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but think about my favorite line from the seminal 70s gang movie, The Warriors. It was the unforgettable line Cyrus delivered during his legendary speech: “Miracles are the way things ought to be.”

The film, while capturing the essence of street gang life in LA, highlighted the humanity of these young people and opened up the possibility of a better tomorrow. As Baron Davis said tonight, “My homies were my inspiration for this film”, and it is in that spirit that we as the League of Young Voters Education Fund support initiatives such as the Youth Promise Act and films such as Crips and Bloods: Made In America.

Last night’s event reminded me that miracles are the way things ought to be. Young people with opportunities are the way things ought to be. A pipeline from the cradle to college and jobs, instead of jails, is the way things ought to be. Young people who’ve made mistakes getting legitimate second chances is the way things ought to be. We can save the next generation of young Americans from rampant poverty, crime and violence if we provide healthy alternatives to the lure of the street.

Today, representatives of organizations and concerned citizens from all over the country will be asking their congressional representatives to co-sponsor the Youth Promise Act. We have an online action where you can email your congressperson, send letters to the editor of your local newspaper and organize a house party screening of the documentary. In the coming days, we will continue to engage elected officials, policy makers and many everyday citizens to educate them about the importance of addressing this issue. Today is only the beginning of a larger effort; we hope you will join the struggle and help us make miracles the way things are.

-Khari Mosley