I think Sharrieff has a very good point about knowing our neighbors. About 13
years ago a squatter in the building next to mine tried to set my house on fire
(he was a little -- touched -- shall we say) he filled my front foyer with
leaves and set it alight. But the nosy old ladies across the street had been
watching him the whole time and the police and fire department arrived at a
point where the fire could still be stomped out. i was upstairs asleep and
didn't find out about it until much later in the day.
that said, most of my neighbors have been relatively transient, staying six
months, one month -- this is a block of moving vans. However, lately we've had
some stable residents and for the first time in years, we have a block captian
(who's a renter, by the way).
i met many of my neighbors during the tree planting this summer -- something
that got everyone out of the house -- i'm thinking a block party, or a series
of block parties, would be a good way to get to know people. or maybe monthly
46th street vs. melville ultimate frisbee in clark park matches ... i certianly
would like to know more people along my block. then when someone dumps a
quarter cubic ton of garbage on the corner, i can just call them instead of
having to go the streets dept roundabout.
________________________________
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Linda Lee
Sent: Wed 1/17/2007 10:33 AM
To: S. Sharrieff Ali
Cc: purple
Subject: Re: [UC] Public Safety
Ali wrote:
>...Don't we all want to make a difference in our community in some
way..even if it is a small
>contribution?
> I am learning that people can't react when there is no plan and they
are unsure about what to do.
>Why would someone think they couldn't make a difference in preventing
crime? Have we been
>reduced to feeling powerless?
Cynicism, indifference (or the expectation that 'others' will deal
with/fix the problems). I, personally, don't believe there is a collective
'we.' Rather, there is you, him, her, some of them, some of us, and so on. I
think it is a bit naïve and idealistic to think otherwise. Not that 'we' don't
want things to be 'better' and safer....
-linda
(a sometimes indifferent cynic)
