Forwarded on behalf of Don Samuels.
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I tried to send the pasted below to the issues list and not sure it went
thru. Can you post it for me just in case?
When the constitution of the United States was written, it became the
ultimate political document of all time. But it existed side by side, for
two centuries, with slavery, genocide and oppression, even at the hands of
the ones who wrote it. A perfect document from imperfect times.
America was never perfect and still is not. Our neighborhoods were never
perfect either. At the times when these neighborhoods were most peaceful,
African Americans were barred from moving into them. That was violence in a
most damning form.
For many, in all of those old imperfect times, it was just "the way things
are." The status quo seemed so intractable, so overwhelming and historical
that the prospect of change, personal or communal, was unimaginable. Even
the visionary Thomas Jefferson said slavery was like having a tiger by the
tail. It was incredibly difficult to manage and it would be fatal to
release. So Dyna, your pessimism puts you in good company.
But there were always brave and creative people who stood against the tide
of moral decay to help move the community forward to what we enjoy today.
Many risked unemployment, physical harm, imprisonment and even death to make
America better.
We have not simply inherited the fruit of their labor; we have inherited the
challenge of their sacrifice. Getting rid of drugs in Jordan is infinitely
easier than getting rid of colonialism, the institution of slavery, Jim
Crow, the disintegration of the Union or Hitlerıs threat to civilization.
Itıs even much easier than getting rid of drug dealing in the south side of
Chicago, parts of Gary, Detroit, Baltimore and New York.
We are the inheritors of the great American struggle against decay and the
creativity that inspired the struggle. And to top it off, we have the good
fortune of being challenged by a lite version of the great American urban
crisis.
This is, in the scheme of things, a little problem. Determined neighbors of
good will, coming together, can inspire other neighbors, get the attention
of the government and send an effectual message to criminals. In the process
they establish new models of engagement for the very kids who would
otherwise fall prey to the lure of crime.
Itıs a beautiful thing. And all of us ordinary citizens get the privilege of
investing some effort into the ongoing American story of transformation.
Donıt give up Dyna, weıre counting on you. Too much blood has been shed for
us, an indulged generation, to crumble in a pathetic heap of
disillusionment.
Don Samuels
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