As a parent myself, I can't imagine how these parents are beginning to cope with the senseless and random loss of their babies. Honestly, it's hard to think about it and my heart goes out to our West Englewood neighbors in this most difficult time. But even in the midst of their personal grief, they are thinking of their neighbors and in a profound display of selfless neighborhood activism, the shooting victims mothers are urging a gang truce so that other parents might not have to endure a similar tragedy in thier families. How hard must it be to bury a child . I can't imagine that either.
It is difficult to think about, almost incomprehensible. But I'm beginning to believe that I must take a moment to acknowledge these events, as hard as it might be. I feel healthy when I am current. There is the temptation, as 24 hour a day news coverage starts to pile up in my head, to remove myself emotionally and pretend that it's not my issue simply because it didn't affect me personally. I think I'm fooling myself and I don't suffer fools gladly.
Honestly, I'm not sure we can really remove ourselves as hard as we might try. We all share a colective conciousness that that tethers us no matter what neighborhood or what country we happen to live in. As living, breathing and concious human beings it is what makes us the unique creatures that we are. I just wish we could all share more good news between us. I think we should try.
There's something that I'm learning these days as I share some good news and bad with my good friends. Whichever news it is, it makes us closer. And unfortunately, there is usually more bad news than good. All you have to do is read the papers or the blogs to verify that sad fact. But the profound lesson I'm learning these days is that bad news shared among friends and neighbors, allows us not to feel so alone and isolated and that the trust you give your friends and neighbors is rewarded. Give people an opportunity to rise to the enlightened occasion and they will. The bad news doesn't feel as much of a burden when you share it. I think there's a lesson in there somewhere.
"Spirituals played softly from wall-mounted speakers as mourners sat and prayed, sobbed or walked down an aisle to Siretha's white casket. Neighbor Brenda Brown-McKee said she came to offer condolences and strength to a family hit hard by tragedy.
"To let them know it's not just, `It happened to them,'--it happened to all of us," she said."
I think there's a lesson in there somewhere.
continuation of the same problematic activity as last summer
gunshots in all directions and at all hours of the day and night
people on bikes have guns
people in vehicles have guns
my neighbor who has a devotion and a significant investment in environmentally concious green technology, and whose house here in the NOH neighborhood is nationally recognized has this frightenning experience. Our Alderman says it isn't his fault and admonishes my neighbor for not talking matters into his own hands. Alderman Moore, you're kidding, right?
A murder of a young man occurs on school grounds
Apparently not, because shortly after all these terrible events,shootings, muggings, killings and national exposure to the embarrasing, squalid and deadly conditions in our NOH neighborhood, he decides to make a stand. Draw a line in the sand and put his foot down, if you will. Alderman Moore has seen enough already. QUACK QUACK Nero speaks. And North of Howard is burning.
A shrine appears to honor the young man's life and death.
young people are being killed on the streets of my North of Howard neighborhood
and we all wonder why gale park remains empty
with people being shot on our streets
innocent people beaten to death simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time
as the weather gets warmer, street activity begins to heat up
our neighbor julie asks for an understanding of our resident gang members as people with families who feel pain and sorrow just like we do
I suggest we create our own memorial at the Gateway in one of the many still empty stores, to remind our Absentee Landlord, Alderman Moore, just how well his grand plans for our neighborhood are not quite working out. Why the stores there are still empty, why the Metra Transit Hub concept will never become a reality, why the business community has not followed the Gateway fiasco to rush in and risk their capital on Howard Street and fill those empty storefronts with normal neighborhood amenities.
It is difficult to think about, almost incomprehensible. But I'm beginning to believe that I must take a moment to acknowledge these events, as hard as it might be. I feel healthy when I am current. There is the temptation, as 24 hour a day news coverage starts to pile up in my head, to remove myself emotionally and pretend that it's not my issue simply because it didn't affect me personally. I think I'm fooling myself and I don't suffer fools gladly.
Honestly, I'm not sure we can really remove ourselves as hard as we might try. We all share a colective conciousness that that tethers us no matter what neighborhood or what country we happen to live in. As living, breathing and concious human beings it is what makes us the unique creatures that we are. I just wish we could all share more good news between us. I think we should try.
There's something that I'm learning these days as I share some good news and bad with my good friends. Whichever news it is, it makes us closer. And unfortunately, there is usually more bad news than good. All you have to do is read the papers or the blogs to verify that sad fact. But the profound lesson I'm learning these days is that bad news shared among friends and neighbors, allows us not to feel so alone and isolated and that the trust you give your friends and neighbors is rewarded. Give people an opportunity to rise to the enlightened occasion and they will. The bad news doesn't feel as much of a burden when you share it. I think there's a lesson in there somewhere.
"Spirituals played softly from wall-mounted speakers as mourners sat and prayed, sobbed or walked down an aisle to Siretha's white casket. Neighbor Brenda Brown-McKee said she came to offer condolences and strength to a family hit hard by tragedy.
"To let them know it's not just, `It happened to them,'--it happened to all of us," she said."
I think there's a lesson in there somewhere.
continuation of the same problematic activity as last summer
gunshots in all directions and at all hours of the day and night
people on bikes have guns
people in vehicles have guns
my neighbor who has a devotion and a significant investment in environmentally concious green technology, and whose house here in the NOH neighborhood is nationally recognized has this frightenning experience. Our Alderman says it isn't his fault and admonishes my neighbor for not talking matters into his own hands. Alderman Moore, you're kidding, right?
A murder of a young man occurs on school grounds
Apparently not, because shortly after all these terrible events,shootings, muggings, killings and national exposure to the embarrasing, squalid and deadly conditions in our NOH neighborhood, he decides to make a stand. Draw a line in the sand and put his foot down, if you will. Alderman Moore has seen enough already. QUACK QUACK Nero speaks. And North of Howard is burning.
A shrine appears to honor the young man's life and death.
young people are being killed on the streets of my North of Howard neighborhood
and we all wonder why gale park remains empty
with people being shot on our streets
innocent people beaten to death simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time
as the weather gets warmer, street activity begins to heat up
our neighbor julie asks for an understanding of our resident gang members as people with families who feel pain and sorrow just like we do
I suggest we create our own memorial at the Gateway in one of the many still empty stores, to remind our Absentee Landlord, Alderman Moore, just how well his grand plans for our neighborhood are not quite working out. Why the stores there are still empty, why the Metra Transit Hub concept will never become a reality, why the business community has not followed the Gateway fiasco to rush in and risk their capital on Howard Street and fill those empty storefronts with normal neighborhood amenities.
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