Argos aim to clean up mean streets
by Pete Cunningham
*As printed in the The Varsity, 9/22/2005
 

Head coach for the Toronto Argonauts Michael "Pinball" Clemons received many handoffs in his illustrious playing days in the CFL. But you'd be hard pressed to say that any were as important as the one he took this past Saturday at an Argos practice at West Humber Collegiate high school.

No, Pinball is not planning on making a comeback. The long-since retired CFL great was not handed a ball; rather, he was given two shockingly realistic toy guns, along with a promise from a little boy and his mother to pick up a ball before a weapon.

This little boy, Thomas, in his short life has already gone through more heartbreak and trauma than anyone should ever experience. Last May little Thomas was startled when he heard a loud bang outside of his Rexdale home. That loud bang was the sound of fatal gunshots, which would leave him and his mother without a close family friend for the rest of their lives.

The next day his mother saw little Thomas playing with toy guns around the house and realized she didn't want her son to grow up with even the thought of gun violence: "I just want him to grow up to be more like his uncle, who is a forensic detective, and not like his other uncle who is in prison, so I said no more guns. Not even the toy ones," she said.

The mentality of escaping gun violence in all its forms is what has motivated the Toronto Argonauts' new "Stop the Violence-We Are Toronto" campaign. Launched on August 23, the campaign's goals are simple: to stop the violence that has plagued the city in recent months, and to unify the urban communities that are being torn apart by these atrocious acts.

The Argos have been conducting practices at various urban locations in an effort to raise awareness and encourage urban youth participation in sports. The players also conduct extended autograph sessions, give speeches about sport participation, and have a whole lot of fun with the children of these communities while they are visiting.

Argo defensive back Chuck Winters can relate to these kids. Having been born and raised in downtown Detroit, Chuck has seen first-hand the effects that gun violence can have on a community, Chuck's brother Malik was killed in a drive-by shooting seven years ago.

"We don't want to see it get that bad," said Winters. "About a month ago, when they asked us to use our name to give these kids hope, there wasn't even a hesitation. If all it takes is me coming up here and saying a few words to give these kids hope, I'm more than willing to do it."

The feel of the practice and the surrounding area was not one of a scared community grasping its last bit of hope; a frown was harder to find at this practice than an Alouettes jersey.

It was hard to believe that this was the same area where five people had been shot-three fatally-no more than twelve hours prior.

"Violence is part of the urban subculture. Unfortunately a few incidents can paint a community the wrong colour," lamented cornerback Jordan Younger, who preached the importance of having dreams and positive role models. Younger described his position as one of those models as "a blessing, an unbelievable feeling."

As a Toronto native, running back Jeff Johnson knows first hand how the increased violence has effected the city, and believes as a university we can help. Jeff spent his formative years, as well as his university days, in the very community where he now dons the double blue, and believes we too as university students have the responsibility to help the community.

"I think it's important that we [the Argos] relay the message that we're just as much a part of the urban communities as we are part of downtown," said Johnson. "As a university, I know there's a lot of money at U of T, as well as a lot of brains. With that I think U of T could brainstorm as to how to get involved with more community activities and offer some scholarships to local community centres."

Along with practicing in the communities, the Argos are also raising money through t-shirt and bracelet sales. To find out more on the "Stop the Violence-We are Toronto" campaign, visit the website at www.stoptheviolence.ca.