We're #2
Can one be surprised to learn that Memphis is ranked number two in the nation in violent crime? This is according to the FBI crime statistics released this week. For those of us living in Memphis, "wow we are so shocked, could have swore we were number one". Memphis has had 128 homicides this year year alone, there were 109 last year this time.
It's quite sad, I would guesstimate that of those 128 homicides, 80% would be black on black.
Over the summer while I was gone, reading the newspapers, I would have thought that negroes had lost their minds. Was it the heat? It was appalling reading headline after headline of someone being killed. What the hell is wrong with the residents of this city? Why are we killing each other? Why are young black males in so much despair? I can't even blame others that get nervous when they see a black male, hell, these days I do too.
What' the solution? More police on the streets? Naw, that aint gonna solve anything, it just means we will respond to crimes quicker. Stricter sentences? Naw, these days, negroes eating jail time like Skittles or as I hear them proudly declare at 201 Poplar, "Mane I'mma do my time like a man."
My solution, do ya really wanna know? I've suggested it before. Maybe it can happen now that Congress has given the President the right to torture(That's a whole nutha story). I say let's have Friday night Caning on Beale St. Not familiar with Caning? Check it.....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning
obviously the system we have now is not working. Folk just don't give a damn about the repercussions that follow when one commits an offense. I think caning would be appropriate for various crimes up to your more violent offenses. Just picture it, people are already on Beale St., kicking it, why not spic up the Beale experience with a little caning. Once caned, the offender would be free for release.
Clearly jail time aint working, it's time to get our Cane on.................
posted by Spike Zee @ 6:47 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Zee,
At the beginning of the summer I wrote an OpEd about what was going to happen in Memphis because of the budgetary cuts for youth programs. They cut the heck out of subsidized summer camp and youth summer job programs. I submitted my OpEd to the Commercial Appeal and they didn't want to publish it. I think, in great part, Memphis politicians are to blame for the increase in crime. Maybe you'll publish on your blog the article I wrote with my changes reflecting a look back over what actually occurred this past summer.
---------------------------------
CITY’S SUMMER BUDGETARY POLICY
LEAVES MEMPHIS YOUTH IN THE COLD
By V.M. Cross, Dr. Juris.
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There is an old adage that says idle hands are the devil’s workshop. While public officials claim that the city’s goal is to reduce crime in Memphis the city’s summer 2006 budgetary policy has in reality marginalized Memphis youth by slashing established youth summer programs. Namely, the summer camp and job youth programs. These two programs primarily serve the poorest communities in Memphis and have become casualties of a city’s budgetary policy that effectively translates into juvenile marginalization.
Why are these programs important? For many working parents, the end of the school year creates a dilemma. Where will school age children spend hours that were formally spent in school? For many families summer camp is a safe harbor. Many families can not afford the full market cost of summer camp program. For many poor or fixed income families in Memphis, especially those with more than one child, the subsidized cost of summer camp at one of Memphis’ community centers has been the only access to this safe harbor.
Summer camp at Memphis’ community centers has meant youth access to gymnasiums, game rooms, meeting rooms, and other facilities. It has also meant team sports and organized field trips. In 2004, the subsidized cost for the city’s summer camp program was $50.00 per youth for the summer. This subsidized cost meant that many families could rest assured that youth would have structure to most of their summer days. In 2005, the city increased the summer camp cost 100% to $100.00 per child. Summer camps, such as Davis Community Center, had parents lining up out the door to enroll their children in 2004. By the end of 2005, the numbers were in and city officials were put on notice that the rise of summer camp cost had a chilling effect on youth enrollment numbers. When the city increased summer camp enrollment to $162.00 per child in 2006, it knew that it would further reduce enrollment. This increase has been dismissed by well-paid city officials as facially marginal. These increases are significant, however, for families with incomes below the poverty level and with more than one child.
For older youth, the city’s Employment Training (aka Youth Initiative) offered an eight week program from June to August for ages 14 to 21. These youth not only gained valuable work experience and learned how to maintain a job, but were paid $6 an hour for a 30 hour work week. By reducing the 2006 budget for this program, the city sends a message to youth that introducing them to the work force is not an important policy of the Memphis community. Instead, those who would have participated in the program must compete for the limited private sector summer job opportunities in Memphis. For those who do not obtain employment, this summer will involve making a series of decisions on how to spend their time. We could only hope that they would make the right decisions. At the end of the summer with the increased crime rates we see that many did not.
When poor families cannot afford summer camp programs and older youth and young adults are unable to obtain valuable summer employment opportunities, as a community we push them into idol, unsupervised, and often unproductive summer. We should not be surprised that juvenile crime increased this summer. In fact, based on data readily available to decision makers, this could easily be predicted.
Vanessa your words were on point. You should have forwarded that to the Mayor for him to read personally. The two programs should annually receive funding automatically.
Dr. Zee,
Canning
On The Surface - this might work - mmmmmm??? for a quick "Memphis Minute"!
Below The Surface - the person that's on the receiving end has already committed the crime. This could possibly turn that 128 body count into 128(infinite) + (infinite)= BIG NUMBERS.
If cell blk #3832, the chair, or the injection didn't work - then it's a high probability that canning won’t work either.
Deep Below The Surface - "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind", I think this crime problem should be solved with a mixture of resolutions. The critical part of the resolution process, would be for us to change our way of thinking.
{Us = Kids, Parents, Me, Preachers, Teachers, Politicians, and You}. This transformed way of thinking should be centered around ((Preventive)) methods.
anon 6:25 is on point, however I seriously believe that there's a systematic reason why the crime stats are escalating, and there is a systematic reason behind not wanting to truly address the issues. The major media outlets "The Commercial Appall", tend to have a deaf ear to exposing the positive (anon 6:25’s solutions); however they will go out of their way to expose the negative. {this is poof of the systematic structure… We can only combat this type of structure with a "Systematic Solution'
just in case we [rw&jw] forget,have a happy b-day!!
peace
rw (10/19)
RW, thanks for the birthday wishes, totally appreciated. I concur with you on the issues of crime. I have yacked in he past on the fact that we have to take our communities back instead of being passive. Parents clearly play a part in the solution as well. With families so fragmented these days, it's even tougher to apply the pressure on parents to do their job. But I feel you, it's on us to take our streets back. But can't we do a little caning on the side anyway? Stay up.
By the way, is this my old classmate from LOC?
Dr. Zee,
Remember I stated {a mixture of resolutions} - I never dismissed the caning method. Some of these youngsters really could use a good caning, "spare the rod spoil the child"...
The mischievous side of me is saying let the Canings begin! This would be an ((Eye Popping)) experience.
"With families so fragmented these days" - this is killing Us, literally...
Keep doing what you do, every positive will help.
LOC? Yes - remember the $3.00 gas check from the fall of '92, I’ll cash it after you win your 1st case.
peace,
rw
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