driving through north philly last week, i couldn't help but have the soaring murder rate running constantly through my head. i drove past streets and store fronts filled with people. this is a big city, and i'm not involved with anything that could lead to someone wanting to murder me (i don't think) ... yet some people are involved directly with this violence. they tote weapons because they need to. just in case.
i feel the same way walking to my car in the dark in chestnut hill. i grab my cell phone, talking to no one in hopes that my faux phone call will deter someone possibly lurking in the dark.
i know i'm paranoid, but how can i not be when every time i open my paper, i see another death report. and the thing is, very few people are doing anything about it. i look around me, i read the news, and everyone is silently sitting, watching out their front windows as young boys, mothers, little girls are shot purposefully or by stray bullets. a peace rally here, a church service there, that's helping. add a few cops. what has that done?
a lot of people seem content to sit on their hands and waiting for the mayor to be elected. each mayor has a plan to end crime, and come election day you are likely to vote for one you think is strong. but the real election isn't until november, and even later that the mayor will be in place. what are we going to do until then? reach 600 and assume, oh, knox/evans/nutter/fattah/brady will take care of it? ha.
a few groups give me hope (Laural Hill Cemetery) (Northwest Interfaith Movement). not in that they have the power to single handedly change anything, but they are thinking outside the box. it's gotta start from the ground up, from you up, and i don't think waiting for the mayor's plan is going to do a whole lotta good.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment