Fight against youth crime splits neighborhood

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Saturday, May 12, 2007

By Lauren Gregory
Staff Writer

After getting local media attention as a critic of violence in her community, East Chattanooga resident Kim Petty said she is shocked that no one outside her family is supporting her publicly, especially members of the faith community.

Ms. Petty said some local pastors have refused to join her media campaign to draw attention to the Woodlawn Apartments complex where she lives with her husband and two children.

"They were telling us we need to be quiet," Ms. Petty said. "I just can't believe they would just turn around and do nothing. ... They'll wait for an innocent child to get shot."

But Al Chapman, director of Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield's Faith-Based Initiative, said he understands why many local pastors are avoiding the limelight: According to them, he said, it undercuts the cause Ms. Petty says she is championing.

www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?articleid=15161&zoneid=77

[Felix]

This is a familiar story to me, the folks most at risk for crime in general in subsidized housing wanting something done about it, but reluctant to back the "something" when it involves taking action against neighbors or their families.

I sat through many board meetings for the Chattanooga Housing Authority while measures to evict criminals, or bar their visiting families in the housing developments were discussed. Residents were loud in wanting action, but drew back when CHA moved to evict, or limit visitors.

I am out of that loop for the past few years, but about the time I departed CHA, a police department was being formed. I see articles in the paper about the CHA police quite often, and many of the stories include comments from residents criticizing the CHA cops.

The more things change...

[RuneDeer]

Kim Petty sounds like a woman of intelligence and drive. The best way she and her husband can invest their time, talents and resources at this stage of their lives is to save up their money and get out of Dodge -- especially with two young kids. Sometimes you have to pick your battles. This is not one they can easily win.

[stray]

Gotta give mad props to the CHA Strike Force, though. They have a hella -badASS- four wheel drive that I'm sure totally endears them to their normal clientele...

[karyotic]

I'm with Runedeer. I hope they can find a way to get out of there.
People tend to stay close to what is familiar and if that is where her
friends and family are it will be hard to leave.

As for making herself a "possible target", she already is a target.
I've been there and it can be a scary place. Thugs on every corner most of the time.

[Kordax]

You shouldn't think that "change" will occur in hoods like this in time for your kids' benefit.

Move away & talk about the problems from a safe distance without subjecting children one more day to these types of pathological cultural values as practiced by irredeemable radioactive scum....

[Felix]

Appropriate in this context that Stray's newest avatar is Edward Norton "helping" a punk "bite the curb." --from American History X, which video the Dishonourable Reverend probably has on his hard drive.

[stray]

Not on my hard drive...but definitely on my 'Wall O' DVDs.'

[LimitedRecourse]

This is where the leaders in the black community fail their constituents nearly every time. There is (or maybe WAS at this point) a window of opportunity to do some real good and make needed change within their community. Support is/WAS strong from the ENTIRE community to root out the problems, arrest the trouble makers, and revitalize some neighborhoods. Then...in step the "community leaders" with heads squarely up their backsides and hands grabbing greedily under the table. They went for grandstanding in the media to get public support (read: MONEY) for the problem, and then work behind the scenes (read: intimidate the reg'lar folk who want REAL action) so that these "leaders" get all the credit, all the money, and no progress is made. That way, the remedy (read: MORE money) can continue to flow into selected pockets because "the rest of the City won't rally to our cause cause we're the down-trodden minority." Look back on recent history (since about 1960) and you will see the pattern very plainly. Nationally, it is the reverend twins, Jackson & Sharpton. Locally......read the funny papers. It is no real mystery why the "powers that be" in the black community want this couple silenced. This is a rare opportunity to milk a golden cash cow. Working in the community that is directly affected, I can attest that RIGHT NOW the majority want the police to kick ass and take names NOW. In about a month, the lack of action, prompted by their own community "leaders'" pressure on the Mayor to stop this harrassment of upstanding citizens, and the drying up of funds will lead the people wanting change to once again realize that their "leaders" have failed them. Support for police action will dwindle and the situation will be worse than before.

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And that post wins the "Nail Squarely on the Head" award of the DECADE!