I think I must've been a Libra in a former life; I often try to find a middle road. Finding a balance between the "DO something!!" crowd and the "let's just change our perception" crowd. I see merit in both approaches. The "do something" crowd maybe doesn't have all the answers, but are motivated by a strong sense of wanting governments and law enforcement to do their actual jobs (no, task forces and study groups don't count). This is a good wish. The "perception" crowd is also motivated by a strong sense of wanting ordinary citizens to take responsibility and create more of what is already working well, perhaps to crowd out the negative, as one of your letters stated. There's also a good case to be made for both of these approaches working well together, where governments provide the necessary housing and services, law enforcement manages crime, and we all flock to our downtown and conduct our business there in a safe and clean environment. Win-win, right? It shouldn't be as hard as it seems to be. And I also feel like the divide isn't really as big as we make it out to be.
*Hira noted the officer has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder: "That is what seven years of deployment in Prince George does to officers."*
I'm hung up on this and I don't know what to do with it, but I'll keep thinking about it and get back to you with some thoughts. At some point.
I get super excited when the teen art showcase is on at the library - we have some amazingly talented young artists in this town!!!
I think I must've been a Libra in a former life; I often try to find a middle road. Finding a balance between the "DO something!!" crowd and the "let's just change our perception" crowd. I see merit in both approaches. The "do something" crowd maybe doesn't have all the answers, but are motivated by a strong sense of wanting governments and law enforcement to do their actual jobs (no, task forces and study groups don't count). This is a good wish. The "perception" crowd is also motivated by a strong sense of wanting ordinary citizens to take responsibility and create more of what is already working well, perhaps to crowd out the negative, as one of your letters stated. There's also a good case to be made for both of these approaches working well together, where governments provide the necessary housing and services, law enforcement manages crime, and we all flock to our downtown and conduct our business there in a safe and clean environment. Win-win, right? It shouldn't be as hard as it seems to be. And I also feel like the divide isn't really as big as we make it out to be.
*Hira noted the officer has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder: "That is what seven years of deployment in Prince George does to officers."*
I'm hung up on this and I don't know what to do with it, but I'll keep thinking about it and get back to you with some thoughts. At some point.
The writer's name is Klasner, not Klanser.
Typo alert: The writer of the article ~his surname is Klasner.