Sad day....

Toledo Riot

Not sure if that link will show up or not, I tend to have a slight HTML problem with posting links in this blog :o(

Yesterday was a sad day in the history of Toledo. If the link didn't work, go to yahoo news and click on US, then look for the story about Anti-White Supremacist Protesters Riot.

Seems a group of White Supremacists got word that african americans in Toledo were giving white people in the area some "problems". Nothing new, the North end of Toledo has gone to heck in hand basket! I know that personally because a year ago at this time, that's exactly where we were living. I will not, however, go to the extent to "blame" the problem on any specific race or problem. It's simply the fact that Toledo does not have the manpower or police to bring the area under control, PERIOD!

In the 18 months that we lived in the Old North End we seen and experienced things we never thought we'd see. We had hookers, drug dealers and gang members hanging out in our front yard. We personally witnessed a business across the street from us get completely destroyed while we were on the phone with 911 for over 20 minutes waiting for the police to respond. We witnessed muggings and gang fights. But the thing that finally made us realize that we needed to get out of there before it was too late was a gun fight within a few feet of our bedroom window.

The sad part of all of this is simply that the people (of all races) that live in the neighborhoods have simply "given up". They turn a blind eye to everything that happens because they know that no matter what they do, nothing will change what is happening.

It hurts me because these areas, whether in my town our another town, are usually the area of the city that started the city. But for some unknown reason, officials seem to have turned their backs on these areas. Every "big" city has it's "bad part of town". It's a simple fact of life. It's the area that we all avoid after dark, and the area that seems to make the news more than the other areas. I never really paid much attention until I actually lived there.

At first, I tried to make a difference. I mean, it was a wonderful house that we lived in and it had TONS of potential, even if it was "in town". We had a fire station right across the street from us, a corner store next door, and a wonderful YMCA just a block up the street. If "necessary" the kids could walk to school, although they were far enough away that they actually rode a bus. I did, however, walk over a few afternoons and the 3 of us walked home from school. But that didn't happen very many times because you could feel the "bad" in the area.

Anyway, it's simply sad. The Mayor of Toledo and the chief of police have spent the last week begging the people in the area where the Supemacist group was going to hold their protest to simply ignore them. They asked them to stay inside, that the Supremacists were simply hoping to cause problems, which is what they did. The news showed the leader of the Supremacist group shouting "VICTORY" as he was ushered into a car and driven away after the march was cancelled. The residents in the area simply went "nuts". They destroyed area businesses and vehicles. They attacked police officers and emergency response vehicles. They completely trashed ambulances and fire trucks. WHY? Did they simply not realize that these people were there to keep the situation under control? Or did they just not care at all?

Part of me wants to pack my family and our "stuff" up and get the heck out of this area! But I know that my town isn't the only place that stuff like this happens in. It happens all over the place, just watch the news! The simple fact is, life today is not like it was when I was a kid. Everyone is so intense anymore. Whether you are driving down the road or shopping in a store, you'll find someone who is in a hurry to get something or to get somewhere, before you do. No matter what the cost to those around them. I've seen countless accidents where someone had to hurry more than they should have, and someone innocent gets hurt or even dies because of it. It's simply sad! And it makes me wonder what things are going to be like for my children when they are my age. If things are this much worse since I've been a kid, how much worse will it be for them?

Anyway, I could go on and on here, so I'm going to stop...LOL. I guess my "thought" for today is simply to stop and think about those around you and how what you do will affect them. Too many people live their lives like they are the only person in the world. Thanks for listening!

**huggles**