OM3 - Pastor for Today’s Youth
Committed to the Next Generation

Reverend Otis Moss, III of Trinity United Church of Christ has dedicated a great portion of his studies and work in youth and youth development. Moss, 38, says that a lot of our young people are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after being victims of violence or witnessing acts of violence. He said that they are not receiving proper care and expression for their pain.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder and according to the Mayo Clinic, “…is triggered by a traumatic event. You can develop post-traumatic stress disorder when you experience or witness an event that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror.”

According to Google Health, symptoms of PTSD fall into three main categories:

1. Repeated "reliving" of the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity

* Flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again
* Recurrent distressing memories of the event
* Repeated dreams of the event
* Physical reactions to situations that remind you of the traumatic event

2. Avoidance

* Emotional "numbing", or feeling as though you don’t care about anything
* Feelings of detachment
* Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
* Lack of interest in normal activities
* Less expression of moods
* Staying away from places, people, or objects that remind you of the event
* Sense of having no future

3. Arousal

* Difficulty concentrating
* Exaggerated response to things that startle you
* Excess awareness (hypervigilance)
* Irritability or outbursts of anger
* Sleeping difficulties

You also might feel a sense of guilt about the event (including "survivor guilt"), and the following symptoms, which are typical of anxiety, stress, and tension:

* Agitation, or excitability
* Dizziness
* Fainting
* Feeling your heart beat in your chest (palpitations)
* Fever
* Headache
* Paleness

Treatment aims to reduce symptoms by encouraging you to recall the event, express your feelings, and gain some sense of control over the experience. In some cases, expressing grief helps to complete the necessary mourning process. Support groups, where people who have had similar experiences can share their feelings, are very helpful. Source: Google Health

In what appears to be agreement with this diagnosis, Moss is busy mobilizing the young people in and around Trinity UCC after they asked him for a youth rally. Moss said that the rally was their idea and will be a place where the youth will be able to speak and articulate their pain through art, poetry, song, and other art forms. The adults present should be able to translate what the children are saying, continue the dialogue, and provide the solutions needed.

Moss also says that there needs to be a National Summit on Violence with the youth doing all of the organizing and the adults supporting their efforts. Through organizing national and various local summits, the young organizers will feel a sense of empowerment and accomplishment. A safe space for them will have been created where they can freely express themselves and the solutions to the violence will be found in their voices.

The second component of solving the current crisis involves civic, religious, educational, and business groups working collectively. “Black children are not a priority in Chicago,” Moss said. “The Mayor and everyone else has to make our children a priority.”

Moss says that most teen violence happens between the hours of 3 to 6pm yet most arts and athletic programs, which usually take place after school, are being cut. Moss also wants troubled children to stop being thrown out of school, “We need teachers trained in conflict resolution and creative engagement.”

OM3 even wants to organize a truce between various gang factions, “If we can go outside of the United States and talk to Iran and North Korea, why can’t we talk to gangs? It is a matter of political will. It is a matter of moral issue. It is a matter of commitment to the next generation. In addition, if the Bears or the Bulls are weak in any area, be it offense or defense, resources will go to where they are weak. Instead, what we do is put our resources where we are already strong. The strongest schools get stronger while the weaker ones get weaker. Are we the keepers of our children or are some children held in higher esteem than others? The fact is that there are some children that we just don’t care about.”

Moss says that “this problem of lessened after school activities and lack of funding of community centers started in the late 1980’s. That’s when we had all the “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” talk. The problem is that the people who were saying that had not only boots, but, leather jackets, mink coats, and everything else.”
“It is ridiculous. Our children are worthy of the best and what they are being offered is disgusting. But, we are going to keep their feet to the fire. No one is going to shortchange our children.” Metropolis

OM3 says that this is a collective problem and that help is needed in all areas of expertise. “Anyone who shuns a soldier is not a good General in this fight.” If you would like to hear about volunteer opportunities with Reverend Otis Moss, III and Trinity United Church of Christ, please sign up for their online newsletter - www.tucc.org.

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