By Gabe Bullard
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VIDEO: Trees Planted for Fallen Cop
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16 Comments:
Thanks for the trees and flowers, but now can we plant some funding for small businesses and job opportunities that will substain life for years to come.
Let's plant some resources and skilled jobs, so that the youth can grow strong and healthy as these trees do.
Let's plant some seeds in these banks to give loans to blacks and minorities, so that we can get an economical substainable resource rooted in the area we these trees are planted.
The whole area around Sherman Park looks horrible but they will have some new trees to look at, if they feel safe enough to do so.
Symbolic gestures are useless to halt crime and degradation against everyone, real substance (jobs, businesses, resources, etc.) provides the foundation to spur change and growth in communities such as this one.
There are at least (50) trees in Sherman Park right now, and according to the latest news accounts crime has not slowed down in this area.
Plant a small tree in the park of a neighborhood, and the people may smile for a day. Plant some knowledge, skills, opportunities, good education, good housing, good environment, etc., and people will smile for the rest of their life.
8/25/2007 3:49 PM
I'm surprised that it doesn't occur to someone to show mourning in the fashion that exists in the streets today. Maybe it has, but I would think the spot where Officer Brown fell should be adorned with the ribbons and teddy bears that mark the fallen of the other side. Or does only the other side gather there, on the unpredictably precarious corners...
Somewhere earlier, in regards to North City problems, it was mentioned that Urban living was pedestrian. I agree. And until we can get that back...both for the citizens, and our police...we have lost the front.
makla
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this young man. I truly believe he wanted to give...and I truly believe he thought he could give to his family, as well as to his community. Life is too cheap, sadly... I see little difference between Sudan, and North City ( any North city )... forcibly recruiting the very young to man the attacks. And if you live long enough, you can wander back through the alleys, but always mindful of the borders you can never cross.
8/25/2007 8:35 PM
The death of a professional serving the public is always sad, and the killing taking place by a child makes it worse.
The City of St. Louis must do something real to curb the violence that occurs in North St. Louis besides the rhetoric that we hear from politicians that are up for re-election.
North St. Louis does need more successful businesses that provide gainful employment with a livable wage. In addition, North St. Louis needs to be re-developed so there will be job opportunities available to the residents of North St. Louis, instead of the current opportunities to purchase guns, liquor, drugs, or participate in any type of vice that leads to death.
Maybe North St. Louis needs new leadership, because the current leadership seems ineffective to combat the problems that face the area that these leaders represent.
Maybe that leadership will present itself in 2008, rumor is that Senator Rita Days will run against Congressman Clay in 2008.
If Senator Rita Days runs in 2008, she will have an excellent chance of winning because people are unhappy with the present condition of both North St. Louis city and county.
The word is that Senator Rita Days is the type of person that will gets things done, be very respectful to both men and women, is a very effective legislator, and has the support of most Missouri elected officials and unions of all kinds.
2008 will be interesting indeed.
8/26/2007 12:42 AM
I think the above comment again proves an observation that was made earlier:
Northside problems are northside problems, while southside, downtown, and CWE's problems are the City's problems.
This is one city whether some of its citizens and elected officials like it or not.
8/26/2007 9:12 AM
"This is one city whether some of its citizens and elected officials like it or not."
So true.
Taking that a step further we are one region whether people like it or not.
8/26/2007 10:13 PM
Well, why don't we all sing Kumbaya!
8/27/2007 12:36 AM
You know what stops crime..young black men getting some moral values and stop committing crime;s stop committing violence.
Stop blaming everyone else for the problems on the north side. Some blacks left because of the all the violence, the lack of good education. So what are whites to do when even blacks bail out
8/27/2007 5:43 AM
The problem in North St. Louis is poor leadership from the people that are elected to maintain a stable environment. Until this changes nothing will change, and the whole City of St. Louis can't vote for the leaders of North St. Louis.
White people don't vote or predominantly live in North St. Louis, in fact it is rumored that a certain black elected federal leader moved to the edge of Clayton to get further away from blacks.
Don't blame the Mayor either, because he has appropriated funding for projects in North St. Louis but mysteriously the funding disappears into thin air.
8/27/2007 10:22 AM
I'll keep it anonymous, but anonymous at 10:22 is a classic example of the type of people holding St. Louis back.
"Hold it right there", he/she'll say, "it's the black criminals in North St. Louis holding the area back".
Sorry, anon at 10:22, just like the posters over at CopTalk who like running down STL, we are one city, and as UR states, one region.
We progress together, or we fade together. The problems of North City are everyone's problems, just like the successes of North City are everyone's successes.
St. Louis is a participation sport. Spectators are free to comment, but don't help much.
8/27/2007 2:18 PM
I'll add my two cents.
The problem may be linked to economics (but aren't there poverty-stricken people all over the world who do not produce violent children?), but it is primarily a moral and spiritual problem.
The promiscuous lifestyles of both black men and women who produce children they neglect and do not inculcate any values in are at the bedrock foundation of the violence on the northside that is spreading to other parts of the metropolitan area. Not only do they produce children they neglect, they spread the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.
Why can't the black churches reach these people and rescue them from destructive lifestyles?
In the Great Depression, people were poor and deprived, but they didn't teach their children to lack respect for the law or to hurt others. If their kids were in the wrong, they were punished--not the law, the cops, or anyone else.
Be like Cosby and others and start facing up to the truth instead of always seeking or giving excuses.
When mafia gangs operate anywhere, no one blames others. They blame the Sicilian families and society.
8/27/2007 3:39 PM
Team four, read the plan it is working perfectly.
8/27/2007 3:51 PM
Black churches can't reach the people you refer to because black pastors don't leave their church, except to attend CHICKEN DINNERS.
The people you refer to don't tithe enought money to gain black pastor's interest, they are interested in the senior citizens on fixed income and the middle class. The poor people don't substain income won't substain the Cadillacs, Lexuses, 300M's, and luxury vehicles that these pimps drive.
Walk through the neighborhoods and sweat in their expensive suits and talk to the people that Jesus would have talked to uh, uh, uh, hold it now-the spirit didn't tell them to do that!
8/27/2007 4:37 PM
Well, this is descending rapidly. From some of the comments, it seems that we are describing an area with severe social problems...violence, but without organization. I doubt that this is true.
If the Churches aren't the strong organization, then another is. Maybe we should legitimize them, as we would in any other 'foreign area' we have tried to assimilate. Heck, that we didn't is one of the key missteps in Iraq. As it is, no one discusses just who that might be. You just may have to appease the warlords... pick your horse in the race,and hope...
makla
8/27/2007 10:37 PM
It is an area of severe violence and social problems.
Read today's Post-Dispatch and a mother's response to her son being shot and killed by an off-duty police officer he and another fellow tried to rob:
"I'm not buying the story," complained Foster's mother, Cynthia Austin, 33. "My
son had brand-new shoes, new clothes and a pocketful of money. He didn't have to rob nobody."
Austin also said her son didn't have a gun, but she acknowledged that she had recently called the police to search her home in the 5300 block of Wells Avenue after suspecting that her son and a friend had hidden a handgun there. She said the police search found no weapon.
She said her son recently spent $2,000 from his disability benefits on shoes and clothes. "He had three or four pairs of Air Jordans and Air Force Ones," she said.
"He was excited by the start of school, and was going to play basketball for Sumner (High)," she said.
Just look at where the priorities are: "three or four pairs of Air Jordans and Air Force Ones," paid for by the taxpayers!
What an entitlement attitude. Most of us had only one pair of school shoes and one pair of dress shoes for church and other occasions.
This mother is in denial. These kids don't rob because they are hungry or in need. They rob for cars, prestige, and they kill because they have no feelings for others or human life.
Yep, there is a serious social problem in North St. Louis that is moving to other parts of the metropolitan area.
8/28/2007 6:07 AM
The ironic part of the shooting by the would-be car jacker is that he lived a block from Sherman Park. He and his companion both lived not far from Natural Bridge and Goodfellow.
What were they doing at Lawn and Fairview in the Kingshighway Hills neighborhood? Just makes the point that we are all connected in the St. Louis area.
Leaving the city is no answer. Clayton, Missouri is closer to Sherman Park than the corner of Fairview and Lawn in South City.
8/28/2007 10:07 AM
Hi,
We have created a free and open memorial site to pay tribute to those loved ones who have passed away, http://www.people-to-remember.com
A special page has been started for Police Officer Norvelle Brown http://www.people-to-remember.com/wiki/index.php/NorvelleBrown
Thanks,
Josh
12/12/2007 7:48 PM
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