What Is It Going To Take? Answer, You
October 27, 2017
The third Thursday of every month the City of West Palm Beach holds a “Peace in the Street” march led by Pastor Jones and the October march was very encouraging due to the fact the folks marching outnumbered the police officers who escort the walkers through the roughest section of the city.
At the last walk many young children had conversations and questions for the police, and it was a joy to witness the give and take between young people and the officers.
While walking back to the cars and passing a large empty lot some movement caught my attention and I spotted Assistant Chief Spatara passing all the walkers on a full out run, and he kept looking over his shoulder at whatever was behind him.
I’m ashamed to admit fear set in and I’m waiting for someone to yell “gun” it all happened so fast. I stopped walking and froze. Chief Spatara stopped running also, turned and caught a football thrown by a young man. The Chief was playing football with a couple of teenagers. No fear, no intimidation just a couple of guy’s playing ball. ? Breakthrough.
There were many very young children who made signs and carried them the length of the walk. One young boy carried a sign that read “Kill Crime–Not Each Other”
I was encouraged by the attendance of the young and old until it was reported four people injured by gunfire in the Northend of the city. It just wont stop.
On Friday (10/27/17) Chief Mooney organized another march down Sapodilla where the gunfire originated within the last 2 weeks. Residents and seniors showed up and it was a decent crowd considering it was put together rather quickly.
There are so many decent, law abiding residents living in a crime infested area who along with City Hall and the Police Dept. are desperate to find a solution to the problem concerning shootings and drugs.
Someone-somewhere has ideas on how to make it better. Maybe it’s you. Do you think “outside the box”? Do you think you may have an idea that could improve the situation? Are you willing to share your ideas with the police dept. and together find the much needed solution to improve life in this area of the city?
Are you aware there have been 23 people murdered in WPB since January?
True Story:
I was shopping when I looked up and saw a middle aged black woman, and we made eye contact. It was obvious to me she was upset and had been crying. I asked her if she was OK and she said yes, and the tears started flowing again. I asked if there was anything I could do. She said she was having a problem with her son and was very upset with him.
This is her story as to why this mother seemed at her wit’s end.
He’s 23 years old, was raised to be respectful, God fearing, and independent. A year ago he was out with his friends when he was shot and left paralyzed from the waste down. If that weren’t bad enough he admitted to his mother he knew who the shooter was, and she begs him every day to tell the police who did it. He refuses. She told him give her the name and she will go to the police. He refuses. His mom told me he isn’t in a gang. I find it hard to believe.
My opinion:
Here is a woman who raised her son, clothed and fed him, educated and changed his diapers and prepared him for the world he would enter.
Now it should have been her time to relax a little, maybe do a little traveling, enjoy her life. She will always be his mother so she moves her son back home, and the ritual starts over. She once again cooks his meal’s and changes his diaper’s.
I can’t help but wonder if the person who shot him also shot and killed others. More mother’s in pain over the loss of a loved one when a simple phone call may have prevented more heartbreak.
The world has changed and not necessarily for the better. You have heard many times “See something–Say something. Please make that phone call, it could save a life. As the young man’s sign read “Kill Crime–Not Each Other”
The police can’t fix crime without residents help, and the residents can’t fix crime without the police. Work together and make life better for all.