Month: March 2022

STATE OF THE CITY MESSAGE FROM AN ACTIVIST IN THE TRENCHES. I actually tried to post this last week but FB somehow thought it went against their “standards” and it got yanked …so I’m posting it again in a different form. “. I had a lot of time this week for reflection on the last almost 14 months of effort to stem the gun violence in my adopted town of Philly. As strange as it seems the youth on youth spontaneous shootings often beginning with some “wack” social media conflict. The type that were rampant a year ago and responsible for most of the killings seems to have faded a lot. What we ended up doing after months of on the scene interventions ..and “try to get there before the police” actions…that actually really did save a lot of lives,,,,got hundreds …..well over two hundred.. guns off the street . But Looking back on it what proved to be the most valuable things that happened was ONE: we got dozens of parents to learn to be more aware of what their children bring into the house. …forget being your kids “friend”..this is life and death….you can respect their privacy later..kids were getting firearms and also careless gun owners made it too easy for kids to get a hold of a parent’s or Mama’s “boyfriend’s” gun. Over eighty people in Philly lost their lives because of that last year.. That alone..just my asking hundreds of parent to pay attention to what their kids brought home, or search bedrooms or be more responsible about your own gun, caused dozens of guns to get turned in to us this past summer. TWO we made several good connections with ex-offenders from the very same neighborhoods where the shootings were happening. Together with parents over 13 different groups in “troubled” communities in Philly have “conflict awareness” groups ..that walk the streets …talk to kids…and even better , began to put pressure on the city to open and or fund community centers where youth can connect and be mentored or just hang out. but there is bad news too.This kind of effort seems to have worked limiting the majority of the type of gun violence responsible for last years spike. But does nothing to curtail the gun violence that comes from criminal activity. Car jackings, ATM holdups and the like…..it’s all gun violence but this kind comes from a very different place. The people who work with me for instance are told right up front..”stay away from the drug dealers and the gangs”..that’s a different problem. It certainly does not mean I know everything. But the one person who told me to kiss his ass and started confronting the dealers ..got his brains blown out stepping out of a “poppie store” ( that’s what folks in Philly call a Bodega )…We have learned that there are large numbers of illegal guns coming into the city from an organization controlled by a very organized criminal enterprise…and no amount of changing gun purchasing laws will stop that. That’s a job for a police department that does not have it’s head up it’s ass…..and we don’t have one like that..In fact…if you remember …the reason I stopped reporting weekly about our progress getting people to turn over guns and or intervening in street disputes was because “asshole” cops began harassing me. ME, a gray haired “old guy”. “aren’t you that Tim Hayes”…Sucks don’t it?…they should be our allies.. But the good news is we have a lot more help now. And I won’t have to be “in it” myself as much. Don’t ever..ever say our people don’t care about where we live.”
Well that’s why “Mr. Tim” has not been registering voters..you got to be alive to Vote…you can call this my “state of the hood” address. This must come first…”All power to the people”.

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