It would sound even better coming from the mayor, the police chief, or even some office-seeker shilling for votes.

The slogan came, unfortunately, from none of the above in the Bull City, but in court last week from a 17-year-old admitted gangbanger. As quoted in the Herald-Sun, Jamal DeJardis Parker was explaining in court why he and Mario D'andre Davis were driving around with a sawed-off rifle that police said was used to kill a man whose only crime was standing on his porch at the wrong time.

Mayor Bill Bell, in his understated way, took issue with Parker's definition of what's needed to live in Durham.

"I strongly disagree that everyone needs a gun," he said. "It depends on what kinds of activities you're involved in."

The activity Bobby Junior Perry was involved in when he was shot in January of 2005 on North Guthrie Street was standing on his porch preparing to go to work. He lived close to where a 14-year-old was killed by random gunfire last week.

How can one rationally blame the mayor or the police chief for those crimes?

You can't, not rationally. But when kids are killing and getting killed, though, rationality has already left the building.

City officials have to become proactive in preventing blood-staining and reputation-staining incidents that, coincidentally or not, seem to occur in Durham more often than other local areas.

Remember two years ago when a couple of teenage girls were shot downtown?

The Rev. Melvin Whitley, associate pastor of Ebenezer Baptist, said more community involvement -- which is proactive -- is the only thing that can stop such random incidents.

"You could put 100 more cops on the street and it would not have the impact of one community watch program," he said. "That's why I encourage my neighbors to be nosy," he said.

Durham cops, despite their shortcomings, have done an admirable job of cleaning up problem areas of the city. Aggressive policing has raised the quality of life in formerly troublesome sections.

Residents around Angier Avenue with whom I've spoken say they feel safer than they once did. City officials must now assure all Durham residents that they are protected, and that they don't need guns to protect themselves from gangbangers who aren't too particular about the people they shoot.

Good luck with that, Mr. Mayor.