When the people come together, the people can win.
By: Juan W
When the people come together, the people can win. But when we allow politician to spin rhetoric and propaganda and our mainstream media outlets to cripple us with fear to bridge differences, we are assured of losing.
In Milwaukee, the newly elected incumbent Mayor Tom Barrett,his recently appointed Police Chief Ed Flynn and District Attorney Chilsom have joined forces calling for stiffer penalties that would pump billions more dollars into prisons and supposedly "anti-gang" and "anti-violent" laws and policies. Sadly more unconscious initiatives that funnel money into the already broken ever growing prison system, probation and parole departments will bankrupt the state that's already in the midst of a budget crisis has already caused drastic cuts to education and closings of Milwaukee schools.
These initiatives called "Safe Neighborhood Acts," and "Anti-Gangs," and crime prevention acts has proven time and time again that it serves no purpose other than wasting millions of tax dollars on policies that don't work.
"Bringing peace and reducing crime in Milwaukee County and surrounding suburban areas (In fact, the Country) is perhaps the most difficult and profound challenge facing Milwaukee County today. However, in this time of crisis more laws designed to over-populate a already overcrowded system is the worst kind of public policy. It plays on Milwaukeeans deepest emotions and fears and sets you up for failure of mandates that do not work to stomp out crime, let alone violence that has magnified in our neighborhoods. It won't reduce crime nor safety and security in our homes and communities.
Instead of calling for more far reaching measures that stiffens criminal penalties and introduces laws reminiscent of Slavery and Jim Crowism that seeks only to strip away identity of humanity and opportunities for education, employment, rehabilitation and violence prevention. In the "African Proverbial saying: 'It takes a village to raise the children!" Many of our Leaders in the Church, Schools, Political arena and elsewhere have forgotten history. Many in society are often surprised when they see or hear about violence in black and or colored neighborhoods that has spilled out and crossed the boundaries into "white suburban" societies.
"But why?" Is it because they or we expect it will remain isolated in urban communities when the same ills and diseases that has caused inner cities to become infected and infested with crime, poverty, rage, bitterness, and unhappiness which is the same social ills which causes suburban whites to chance inner-cities night and day prowling for illusive euphoria and high which has dominated black communities and youth mentalities [Crack/Cocaine] and therein lies the root problem. With all the political grand standing and get tough on drug crimes measures that passed ranging from Mandatory Minimums Laws to the Rockefeller Law during the President Ronald Reagan era still everyday millions and millions of pounds of cocaine, heroine and other synthetic substances are filtered in urban black/brown communities for consumption and sale.
There's no public outcry from our Ministers and or Teachers when Hollywood and our Entertainment industry sensationalize and glamorize drugs, especially when they have seen and know first hand the affect and destruction of it in their communities, there's no public outcry when liquor stores keep popping up in the communities out numbering Churches and other institutions that engage our youth in more productive adventuring. The same political leaders who now are calling for stiffer penalties are the same leaders who sat in the board rooms and orchestrated the destruction to our communities with closed door deals.
For, if history is any judge, many citizens throughout Milwaukee and other economically hard struck areas shouldn't be surprised at all We should be surprised only when a political body has actually gotten it right. This should have recently been learned with the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, courts are political institutions, and politics are rarely about right or wrong; its about power. As in who has it and who doesn't
Change can only come about when the people organize to make it so. As the great abolitionist, freedom fighter and rabble-rouser Fredrick Douglas taught, "Power concedes nothing without a demand, that our power lies first in our love, in our unity, and in our strength to rely upon one another in times of need and adversity."
Social movement in the streets brought an end to Plessy, not a political body. People, organized, shook the status quo, they did not wait until someone decided we will do this or that-so why do our communities, our Ministers and Preachers, Teachers, and So-called Political Leaders continue to stand idly by as violence and crime is thrust upon the city by those believe this is their only means to survive.
I myself, as a prisoner, find shame and disgrace in myself for having fallen victim to imprisonment and destruction in our community, for the hurt, the pain and violation of another person’s and property. Given the choice today of committing the same crime and or standing up to be a man; I'd stand-up to be that man for I see it as a choice of lying down to die or standing to live. For many in our communities, mother's, father's, sisters, brothers, elders and our children, their only crime is trying to live. But why live in fear, in a state of imprisonment? and allow political bodies and their agents to make us ineffective in our neighborhoods and communities.
When Milwaukeeans stop depending on political institutions [Police and Politicians] to lead us out of the poverty and the woes of criminal activities and discontinue to live in a state of fear perpetuated by the insatiable appetite of drugs and or alcohol,or by the need of materialism and realize that together that we are one, and together we are many, that together we are every woman, man, child that desires to see the sun rise without cowering in our homes from fear of violence, without fearing that our children will be killed while playing in the front yard by stray bullets aimed in senseless crimes; and that we have other choices besides locking up our men and women in political organized institutions designed to profit from human chattel or flesh.
I am a prisoner who wants to see Milwaukee and other hard economically struck cities rise from the ashes of fear and realize living is not cowering or hiding behind closed doors afraid the boogey man is waiting around the corner, or allowing their city and or neighborhood to be ran over by undesirable behavior. No change can come about until the brown, red, black, yellow and white skin come together in one voice, with willingness to set aside racial intolerance and then the violence and plagues will diminish.
Too often citizens wait idly for politicians and police to rid us of crime. But the truth is crime pays, that is why political bodies allow crime to fester and grow out of control before our police and other agencies move in supposedly to rid it of an infection they have allowed to incubate and fester until full blown. I urge seriously concerned citizens who are tired of the ever present menacing conditions within our neighbor hoods and communities contact (PAW) the Prison Action Wisconsin Committee that advocates a vehicle for change in both our communities and prisons.
By: Juan W
When the people come together, the people can win. But when we allow politician to spin rhetoric and propaganda and our mainstream media outlets to cripple us with fear to bridge differences, we are assured of losing.
In Milwaukee, the newly elected incumbent Mayor Tom Barrett,his recently appointed Police Chief Ed Flynn and District Attorney Chilsom have joined forces calling for stiffer penalties that would pump billions more dollars into prisons and supposedly "anti-gang" and "anti-violent" laws and policies. Sadly more unconscious initiatives that funnel money into the already broken ever growing prison system, probation and parole departments will bankrupt the state that's already in the midst of a budget crisis has already caused drastic cuts to education and closings of Milwaukee schools.
These initiatives called "Safe Neighborhood Acts," and "Anti-Gangs," and crime prevention acts has proven time and time again that it serves no purpose other than wasting millions of tax dollars on policies that don't work.
"Bringing peace and reducing crime in Milwaukee County and surrounding suburban areas (In fact, the Country) is perhaps the most difficult and profound challenge facing Milwaukee County today. However, in this time of crisis more laws designed to over-populate a already overcrowded system is the worst kind of public policy. It plays on Milwaukeeans deepest emotions and fears and sets you up for failure of mandates that do not work to stomp out crime, let alone violence that has magnified in our neighborhoods. It won't reduce crime nor safety and security in our homes and communities.
Instead of calling for more far reaching measures that stiffens criminal penalties and introduces laws reminiscent of Slavery and Jim Crowism that seeks only to strip away identity of humanity and opportunities for education, employment, rehabilitation and violence prevention. In the "African Proverbial saying: 'It takes a village to raise the children!" Many of our Leaders in the Church, Schools, Political arena and elsewhere have forgotten history. Many in society are often surprised when they see or hear about violence in black and or colored neighborhoods that has spilled out and crossed the boundaries into "white suburban" societies.
"But why?" Is it because they or we expect it will remain isolated in urban communities when the same ills and diseases that has caused inner cities to become infected and infested with crime, poverty, rage, bitterness, and unhappiness which is the same social ills which causes suburban whites to chance inner-cities night and day prowling for illusive euphoria and high which has dominated black communities and youth mentalities [Crack/Cocaine] and therein lies the root problem. With all the political grand standing and get tough on drug crimes measures that passed ranging from Mandatory Minimums Laws to the Rockefeller Law during the President Ronald Reagan era still everyday millions and millions of pounds of cocaine, heroine and other synthetic substances are filtered in urban black/brown communities for consumption and sale.
There's no public outcry from our Ministers and or Teachers when Hollywood and our Entertainment industry sensationalize and glamorize drugs, especially when they have seen and know first hand the affect and destruction of it in their communities, there's no public outcry when liquor stores keep popping up in the communities out numbering Churches and other institutions that engage our youth in more productive adventuring. The same political leaders who now are calling for stiffer penalties are the same leaders who sat in the board rooms and orchestrated the destruction to our communities with closed door deals.
For, if history is any judge, many citizens throughout Milwaukee and other economically hard struck areas shouldn't be surprised at all We should be surprised only when a political body has actually gotten it right. This should have recently been learned with the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, courts are political institutions, and politics are rarely about right or wrong; its about power. As in who has it and who doesn't
Change can only come about when the people organize to make it so. As the great abolitionist, freedom fighter and rabble-rouser Fredrick Douglas taught, "Power concedes nothing without a demand, that our power lies first in our love, in our unity, and in our strength to rely upon one another in times of need and adversity."
Social movement in the streets brought an end to Plessy, not a political body. People, organized, shook the status quo, they did not wait until someone decided we will do this or that-so why do our communities, our Ministers and Preachers, Teachers, and So-called Political Leaders continue to stand idly by as violence and crime is thrust upon the city by those believe this is their only means to survive.
I myself, as a prisoner, find shame and disgrace in myself for having fallen victim to imprisonment and destruction in our community, for the hurt, the pain and violation of another person’s and property. Given the choice today of committing the same crime and or standing up to be a man; I'd stand-up to be that man for I see it as a choice of lying down to die or standing to live. For many in our communities, mother's, father's, sisters, brothers, elders and our children, their only crime is trying to live. But why live in fear, in a state of imprisonment? and allow political bodies and their agents to make us ineffective in our neighborhoods and communities.
When Milwaukeeans stop depending on political institutions [Police and Politicians] to lead us out of the poverty and the woes of criminal activities and discontinue to live in a state of fear perpetuated by the insatiable appetite of drugs and or alcohol,or by the need of materialism and realize that together that we are one, and together we are many, that together we are every woman, man, child that desires to see the sun rise without cowering in our homes from fear of violence, without fearing that our children will be killed while playing in the front yard by stray bullets aimed in senseless crimes; and that we have other choices besides locking up our men and women in political organized institutions designed to profit from human chattel or flesh.
I am a prisoner who wants to see Milwaukee and other hard economically struck cities rise from the ashes of fear and realize living is not cowering or hiding behind closed doors afraid the boogey man is waiting around the corner, or allowing their city and or neighborhood to be ran over by undesirable behavior. No change can come about until the brown, red, black, yellow and white skin come together in one voice, with willingness to set aside racial intolerance and then the violence and plagues will diminish.
Too often citizens wait idly for politicians and police to rid us of crime. But the truth is crime pays, that is why political bodies allow crime to fester and grow out of control before our police and other agencies move in supposedly to rid it of an infection they have allowed to incubate and fester until full blown. I urge seriously concerned citizens who are tired of the ever present menacing conditions within our neighbor hoods and communities contact (PAW) the Prison Action Wisconsin Committee that advocates a vehicle for change in both our communities and prisons.
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