Michelle Writes:
Why do we only asked for accountability, publicly, in the African-American
community? I want drunk drivers held accounbtable, but the courts seem to
tap them on the wrist. I want child molesters held accountable, but more of
them are released into the African-American community, and impoverished
communities, then any where else in the city. I want those who sell cocaine
to get the same prison sentences as those who sell crack, beacuse their
crime, like the street corner crack dealer still erodes the community, but
they don't get the same amount of jail time. I want public officials to be
held accountable when they come to my community asking for my vote, but fail
to deliver what they promised to get my vote.
Dennis Plante Responds:
"we" do not ask for accountability only from the african american community.
Ethnicities, speacial interests groups (including religion, sexual
orientation, the NRA, and a myriad of others) publicly ask for
accountability on specific issues on a very frequent basis. Maybe a better
question would be to ask why something (like Terrills' letter) that seems so
right and reasonable at face value, is being so hotly contested among the
african american community.
Are all the tools in-place to allow african american youths equal footing in
our society? No, of course not. But, to send the message to this same
youth that "we" will not publicly denounce gang-related acticvitiy, is to
send them the wrong message.
It is clear to me that many that have spoken-out against the Rev Terrill's
letter see his statements as "regressive". This seems (to my understanding
anyway) to be the "crux" of the issue. Bear in-mind that not only did the
"letter" not imply that people's doors would be knocked-down, or that family
members would be arrested and prosecuted based soley on their "association"
to gang member relatives, there currently is NOT legislation in-place that
would allow that.
I subscribe to the saying "it takes a village to raise a child". I would
like to see us get back to that. I have seen too many neighbors afraid to
get involved with children that are headed down the wrong path specifically
because they knew they would not receive the support of "the village".
Some irony in this whole situation? I moved-out of Jordan recently, after
living there for better than 8 years because I could no longer afford to
live there. In the last six-months prior to moving, I had a total of about
$4,500 worth of damage done to my vehicle while it sat in my driveway.
After a while, I smartened-up and started "budgeting" what I was actually
spending to repair the property damages I incurred. About $750/mo. A quick
financial analysis told me to move.
What precipitated this? I had a wierd belief that my right to live at my
house without drug dealing, or gambling, or public urination on my street
corner, or throwing beer bottles in my yard led me to believe that I should
call 911 when I saw these activities occurring, instead of taking the
mentality that as long as it stayed outside of the legal boundaries of my
yard, that I just needed to look th other way. The bangers on the sreet
corner next to my house became aware of my desire to live in an environement
free of terrorism and to exception to it. Here is how absurd it got. I
once took a walk around my block and stopped to help a young african
american girl (she was probably 6, or 7) put the chain back on her bicycle,
so she could ride with her friends. The kids in the neighborhood had become
accustomed to calling me the "bke man" as all they had to do was knock on my
door and I would fix their bike. Well, one of the "regular" bangers on the
street corner saw ythe opportunity to terrorize me while I was performing
what most would call a "neighborly act". He walked over and accussed me of
molesting his "cousin" and that if he saw me around again (he knew where I
lived), he was going to call the cops. A few days later, I saw the young
girl again (she was aneighbor), and she said she had no idea who the guy
was, but she was afraid to say anything in-front of him. So, let's keep
enabling the bangers by not publicly admonishing them. I mean after-all,
aren't thir rights to terrorize our communities more important than those of
a 7 year-old girl that would like to ride her bike with her friends? You
may be willng to sacrifice the "rights" of the children in our
neighborhoods, but I am not.
I do not believe for a minute that the currrent state of affairs in our
african american communities is one where these activities are not
"enabled". If this offends you, so be it. In the 12 months leading-up to
the "Jordan Melee", there were 396 - 911 calls made regarding illegal
activity on the street corner (where by the way, I fixed the bike) where the
warrant was served. NOT ONE of those phone calls was made from someone at
that house. Wouldn't you expect something different from your neighbors? I
do. To the contrary, I believe these activities are all too often enabled.
It is a fear of both the type of retaliation I have experienced that caused
me to move, as well as the fear that it is a regressive step. As a parent,
you well know that sometimes doing the right thing takes a tremendous amount
of courage and sacrifice.
The real loser in this scenario is the children we are raising right now...
They deserve better.
dennis plante
lind-bohanon
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