After last week's fatal shooting in their Northeast Baltimore neighborhood, residents of Belair-Edison will be on the march against violence tonight at 6:30 P.M at the corner of Belair Road and Cliftmont Ave. Here's a message from Melodye Watson, Community Organizer for Belair-Edison Neighborhoods, Inc.:

I read your column this past Sunday. I agree with you that it is time to speak up about all the violence that happens in Baltimore. I live and work in the community where last week's fatal shooting of Christopher Clarke occured. Residents in Belair-Edison are outraged. They are also scared. But we will put our fear aside and do something about gun violence. When I heard about the shootings on Cliftmont Avenue, I wasn't surprised. Murder is common and unfortunately I, like many others, have gotten used to it -- especially here in Baltimore.  Even the media coverage of these shootings seemed commonplace, ".....and by the way, another young black guy shot some other young black guys and one of them died."

Dan, I'd like for you to know that residents in Belair-Edison are outraged. We realize that City resources are limited, that the police are overwhelmed and that if we don't do something now more lives will be lost. The Belair-Edison  Community Association has organized a peace walk and prayer vigil on Cliftmont Avenue for this evening. The events is the kick off to our own block by block strategy to reducing crime and improving our neighborhood. We realize that we can't wait for Mayor Dixon or Police Commissioner Hamm do put any programs in place to quell the problems in our neighborhood.

We live here and we want to live in peace. We don't want to move out to the county or Pennsylvania. It's too expensive We realize the great potential of our neighborhood and its affordability. We are not going to be run out by kids with guns, drug dealers, or rats. Starting today with our peace walk, we will begin our campaign to organize as many blocks in Belair-Edison to clean it up and keep it safe. We will be door knocking every weekend on as many doors as possible to ask our neighbors to participate in clean ups, to participate in citizens on patrol, to complete block projects, and to just come out and talk to one another. Our strategy is really quite simple. We realize that we have got to get people here involved and concerned about our neighborhood and each other.

For more information about tonight's march and vigil, contact: Tony Dawson, President, Belair-Edison Community Association, 3412 Belair Road, 443-622-9700, or beca3412@hotmail.com.