Local leaders, police and community advocates are once again brainstorming solutions to gun violence following a violent Fourth of July night at The Banks. Five people were shot in Smale Park following fireworks. All of them were teenagers. Two were killed and one is in critical condition. Local leaders have suggested ideas ranging from enforcing a curfew for youth to increased police patrols in hot spots or more personal accountability in the community.Many agree that short-term fixes are not solving the problem. "It's gotten younger and younger," said Dr. O'Dell Owens, referring to the age of shooting victims and suspects.Owens is a trusted voice in the Cincinnati area and beyond, a pioneer in medicine, former Hamilton County coroner and former Cincinnati State Technical and Community College president, to name a few."It always starts with poverty — poverty because you have people who are living in condensed, concentrated areas where there's no tomorrow," he said. "What saddens me is that we're creating a culture where kids feel it's okay to shoot someone to handle your beef."Owens said the family unit, community, education system, police and city leaders all play an important role in preventing gun violence. "I do believe strongly that if a problem is in the community, then the solution is in the community," he said. "Certainly it should be no blame game. It should be coming together and saying ok, let's check off the box. What are we doing for poverty? How well are we supporting preschool promise... How are we supporting these kids when they're in the school?"Rev. Damon Lynch III, the pastor of New Prospect Baptist Church, said the violence weighs heavy on his heart. He often leads the funerals for gun violence victims and sees the pain violence inflicts beyond the victim."It impacts me greatly," he said. "They'll be two more parents sitting on the front row of somebody's church burying their child. Other parents may end up watching their child go to jail, so it impacts the black community. It impacts our survival and our ability to thrive."Lynch is holding a community conversation on gun violence Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at New Prospect Baptist Church. "This should be just the first of many conversations," he said. "There is no overnight fix. It's gonna take about a decade to raise up another generation of young people who love life, love themselves and love each other."

Did you know that Cincinnati is becoming hip? Thanks to a lot of gentrification and the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, there are many Cincinnati attractions that showcase its great food and beer scene, as well as its downtown core. In this video, I cover 5 things every tourist should do in Cincinnati!

Firstly, you have to take a tour with American Legacy Tours. I did the Queen City Haunted Tour that takes you on a ghost tour of the city, including inside the haunted Symphony Hotel! The company offers other great tours as well, like the Underground Tour that shows you the city's hidden tunnels.

The second of the Cincinnati attractions is the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood. This is a trendy neighborhood that has been gentrified and has an excellent food and beer selection, including my favorite cider at Rhinegeist Brewing Company.

Third on the list is Graeter's Ice Cream, which is a local chain with multiple locations across Cincinnati. They are known for their black raspberry chip flavor which I recommend!

Fourth is Smale Riverfront Park, a new downtown park along the riverfront that contains illuminated fountains, a playground, and a "Queen City" sign. It is clean and beautiful, an absolute treat for locals.

Finally, you have to walk across the John A. Roebling suspension bridge. The bridge has great views of the city and river and will take you right to Kentucky. On the other side of the bridge, you will get a full-scale view of the downtown Cincinnati skyline.

In summary, there are a lot of great things to do in Cincinnati, highlighted by their bars and restaurants, inviting downtown core, and sports as well.

#travelusa #traveltips #cincinnati

●●● ATTRIBUTIONS FOR PHOTOS USED: ●●●
Cincinnati Music Hall image (1:47):
"Music Hall" by Hannaford is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Washington Park image (1:57):
"Washington Park" by 5chw4r7z
is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Cincinnati Underground image (2:52):
"IMG_5982" by ChrisMiller513
is licensed under CC BY 2.0

1st Graeter's Image (4:40):
"Graeter's on Fountain Square" by Hannaford
is licensed under CC BY 2.0

●●● VIEW THE BLOG POST: ●●●

●●● SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: ●●●

●●● FOLLOW ME HERE: ●●●

Blog:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Pinterest:
Tumblr:
Mix:

source