Hitting too close to home
We live on the southeast side of Grand Rapids. Our house is in a relatively calm and peaceful neighborhood, save for the occasional loud parties at the house down the street from us. We have lived on the southeast side for 11 of the twelve years of our married life, and woudn't live anywhere else. There are two churches a block away from us in different directions, and we are walking and biking distance away from stores, restaurants and parks. I always like to tell people I live 10 minutes from most places I need to go, whether that's downtown, church or work.

The southeast side is diverse area of town, racially and economically and has quite a few distinctive neighborhoods but it's also an area that has been raised to prominence in the local media in the last couple of days with the reports of several shootings. One which surpised me and saddened me the most, however was the report of two evenings ago, where shots were fired after a local middle-school graduation, outside of the school and and a couple of blocks away. They were in and near the Ottawa Hills neighborhood, one with very attractive, architecturally interesting 1920's-era homes, and what appear to be many professional upper-middle-class people who live in those homes. I enjoy running through this neighborhood, and haven't ever had any reason to feel my safety was at risk (maybe because I'm out at 6:30 AM, when those inclined to commit acts of violence might be asleep at the time?) The middle school sits in the middle of the neighborhood, but draws from much of the southeast side.

The police have had a mobile post a few miles away in a neighborhood with a reputation for crime and poverty for the last couple of summers, they are considering adding more of these to other sites in the southeast side. But we can't law-enforce our way out of our children shooting other children. A group of ministers is trying to help by going out and helping patrol the streets, but what will it take to eliminate the threat of violence among our children? Will it take better-paying jobs for their parents, more parenting skills classes, more assistance to struggling families trying to help and better themselves? Crime prevention programs for kids won't work if the kids haven't eaten or don't know where their family is going to stay tonight. We know the City's budget is tight right now, but there can be no greater investment than in our children.
- posted by Kristen @ 6/07/2006 01:08:00 PM