I realize it's probably no consolation to Keith Bergman that my daughter and her roomates have faced a similar "Welcome Wagon" in their neighborhood which is closer to UT than the Old West End.
As I read his article in the Toledo Free Press I felt a mixture of sadness and anger. I watched my daughter have her home broken into, many items stolen including a laptop, other electronics and her wallet along with the keys to her car and her car. We later got the car back but it was damaged. Not enough to total it but enough to make her wish she had a lower deductible. She of course had to pay to get her car back because after being stolen for over a week, evidently leaving the car on the street an additional hour so she could avoid paying the City's ransom was too much to expect and there was no real investigation. Then recently someone did a sloppy job trying to break into her car again. This time they didn't steal it but she's not going to bother to get the lock repaired because she feels like Keith does. Luckily for her, she and her roomates are only renting. At the end of their lease they can escape.
But we want people like my daughter and like Keith and his wife here in Toledo. Especially those like Keith who work hard to save to own a home. It's sad that we are not beyond the point where race doesn't matter, that a neighborhood would not want good neighbors who were going to care for their home. Merely being white should not make you a target, just as a family being the only blacks, or the only hispanics or the only anything should matter. A soul of a neighborhood is not judged by the color of skin, it's judged by a common bond. Wanting to live in a safe, pleasant place for a family.
If we keep losing the Emily's and the Keith's we are going to have to worry about more than brain drain....
Keeping Your Belongings Safe Through Storms
-
Years ago almost every house was built with some sort of shutter, whether
designed as storm shutters or for security. Granted, most windows during
those d...
13 years ago
7 comments:
Wow, Lisa. You're so right!!!
But these stories make me very sad. They also make me very glad to be leaving politics. Instead of worrying about lights on trees and bike paths, we should be taking care of the basics. Maybe then people wouldn't be so anxious to leave.
Caveat emptor. But on the other hand, no matter where you live you face the risk of break-ins, whether it be your car or home. I grew up in an affluent area, and even there our cars were broken into several times, and several houses around us. Today, I literally live between a golf course, a farm, and a field (depending on which window I look out). Further, the entire apartment complex is gated, but it's easy to get in by foot. There's nothing around me but grass. Even so, my neighbor and co-worker, who lived below me, had someone sneak into her apartment through her bedroom window when she was out of town for the weekend (and thank God she was out of town). Regardless, anyone who broke into her apartment pretty much had to walk the equivalent of a half mile back from dorr street to break into her apartment. They took her laptop and other personal items. Furthermore, I've had two friends here that have had there cars broken into, and I've heard stories of many others. While that Free Press writer might blame race, I disagree. I don't think criminals discriminate. Really, I think his anger is misplaced. Yes, segregation still exists, but it is more socioeconomic than race related. Invest in a security system and a garage.
As to your comment about this being a bigger concern than brain drain, I must dissent. More high paying jobs means that more money for the city and more jobs for everyone. If more people have jobs, then there goes your crime problem. Frankly, we should feel lucky to live in a city like Toledo where the crime rate is so low. Imagine what would happen if Jeep and all our industry moved out. We've been lucky. If we cure the brain drain problem, then we'll have mores sources of employment. Employment equals less crime.
There's where we disagree Kurt, some things can't be fixed by just money alone. Nor does employment eliminate all crime. What does help eliminate crime is a neighborhood where people look out for each other. It's a feeling of community, people working towards a common goal. When you are told that part of the problem is your family stands out because they are white, that pretty much makes it about race, or at least makes him feel it is and that's what his article was about.
It's almost a what comes first the chicken or the egg type discussion. What led them to stop being a neighborhood? How do you create that again? Which is why I said it was more important than Brain Drain because a community is the foundation, for young and old alike.
I don't think there's a way to "eliminate all crime," but I do think there is a way to significantly reduce it. From what I can tell, there are three causes of crime: (1) poverty, (2) drugs, and (3) insanity. If we get rid of poverty, there goes a significant portion of crime. The drug debate is one unto itself, and insanity crimes are fairly rare (but they always make the news). As far as your stance on community, I agree with you to an extent. Community is important, but it doesn't stop crime. The point of my previous comment was that community cannot necessarily stop outsiders from coming in and stealing from you. While it helps, with which I agree with you, it doesn't stop the problem. My point is that if we take away the reason why people commit crimes, then crime won't exist. A strong community doesn't prevent that.
I'd suggest one be inequality. Whether it is real or imagined that seems to be what many feel is a factor in crime as opposed to poverty. I agree on the other 2.
Not to turn this into a novel but an important part of a community is family. This doesn't have to be a traditional family as some seem to think but people but in a strong community neighborhood, schools are typically better because parents are involved. That all helps led to less crime no matter the economic stature of the neighborhood. Some of it government can do but quite a bit of it has to come from those residents.
So, I think we both agree with your statement of if we take away the reason why people commit crimes, then crime won't exist. We might have a difference of opinion on what has to happen first to make that happen.
Indeed, I agree with your stance on schools.
As far as young people go, they follow the jobs, they HAVE to. Most, by graduation, are saddled with so mich debt.
Now, if the government here could find it in their hearts to help relieve a significant portion of this burden, maybe more of our brightest could be convinced to stsy in Toledo.
Post a Comment