Lauderdale: Gun-violence kids not forgotten at Christmas

"Peace on Earth" could have a hollow ring if your mother was shot to death, her boyfriend bludgeoned and then her car set afire.

It happened in Hardeeville just three months ago.

About a dozen people have been murdered this year in Jasper County, which may be rural and poor but until recently was peaceful.

And this Christmas dawns on at least 20 Jasper County children who have lost a parent to gun violence.

Last Saturday, family members and volunteers gathered at the Second Euhaw Baptist Church in Old House to deliver a bit of Christmas joy to those children.

They got presents from their own wish lists.

"Jasper County so often gets shown in a negative light," said the event organizer, Jasper native Justin Swinton of Atlanta.

"But this shines a light in a dark place.

"All you need is a little light. I hope it grows to be a brighter light."

Almost three years ago, Swinton's uncle, who was a father figure to him, was shot and killed. He was a Vietnam veteran, car mechanic and respected member of the community.

Then in October 2014, his best friend was murdered, leaving five daughters, roughly ages 4 to 18. The suspect in the case is the victim's brother.

That's when Swinton and his wife, Eliese, decided to reach out to the children. They put on a Go Fund Me drive online, hoping to raise $100 for Christmas gifts for every child they could find who had lost a parent to the spiral of violence that has engulfed Jasper County.

They pulled it off in 2014 and again this year, with bicycles, tricycles, doll babies, doll houses, computer tablets and such. The older kids got cold cash.

"The community rallied together," Swinton said.

He's quick to thank those who helped, including the church, Crave CupCake Boutique in Beaufort and the Coca-Cola company where he works.

But Swinton isn't afraid to say more people need to give back and take charge of the community.

He said when he graduated from Jasper County High School in 1997, "I never had a house key. The door was always open. Everybody got along."

Society as a whole has changed, he said. Jasper County is far from alone in coping with violent crime.

"As a community, we don't look out for our own," Swinton said. "Kids are led astray and no one is telling them that what they're doing is wrong. People don't want to get involved. They just look away. The community needs to come together as a whole and make it a village.

"We used to protect and groom our kids in the right manner. Now, everybody's out for self-gain."

The sheriff is begging the community to help provide information on the murders. And other organizations have formed to rally against violence.

For Swinton, Christmas gifts are a start, but he hopes the program can grow to offer those kids college scholarships. He wants to create a nonprofit called SOLO, an acronym for Survivors Of the Lost Ones.

"I know it's a hard time of year for them at Christmas."

Follow columnist and senior editor David Lauderdale at twitter.com/ThatsLauderdale and facebook.com/david.lauderdale.16.

This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Lauderdale: Gun-violence kids not forgotten at Christmas."