Chronic hopelessness

OPINION

Add Comment | Comments: 1 | Posted Feb. 2, 2012

To the Editor:

Block by block, many once vibrant, yet affordable neighborhoods have become casualties to the war on poverty. They have fallen so far down that the hope to save these ravaged communities is all but lost for the majority of neighbors. The only remnants of past prosperity is a monument in one of the cities rundown parks or perhaps a shell of a once bustling factory.

A slew of dollar stores and pawn shops have saturated the once thriving communities. In many neighborhoods, the majority of businesses sell cheaply made and often hazardous junk. In the industrial glory days of the city, skilled craftsman once made an assortment of masterfully assembled products. Philadelphia does not even own the iconic Tastykakes corporation anymore.

If your child lives in the ever expanding territory of failing public schools, consider yourself lucky, if you find a charter school for your child outside the neighborhood. It is a shame but for a growing number of children that get stuck in the neighborhood schools, the door closes on a future filled with possibilities.

Too many childrens’ summers are filled with sitting on a stoop as the 100 degree heat drains their hope and energy as they routinely witness street corner drug dealers making transactions in broad daylight; as if they were delivering a community service to the forsaken.

Spend time visiting an elementary school in the bad lands and ask the kids how many of them have heard gun shots at night? Ask those same group of children how many of them have a family member this is either in jail or died as a result of street violence in Philadelphia?

During the height of the flash mob mayhem in a press release dated August 8, 2011 and posted on the cities official website, the mayor used, the terms “targeted enforcement districts” and “safe corridors campaign, “when he was specifically referring to the Center City and University City neighborhoods. For the most part, city officials don’t give a crap about struggling neighborhoods because it is too apparent by too many people, what you can get away with in one neighborhood does not fly with law enforcement in another. Regardless, if you’re poor or rich, black or white there shouldn’t be such a vast discrepancy in police response regarding disturbances and crimes.

A new term has begun for the mayor and City Council, I ask them, what are the viable solutions? Because, many people have the perception that things are not getting better in Philly.

Jason Kaye
Northeast Philadelphia

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