Hope is a precious commodity. In response Mary Anna Towler's "Our Generational Curse" (Urban Journal, September 23), it is understandable that the frustration and pain over the shooting death of teenager Camry McKnight could lead to a feeling that we have lost our will to deal with violence and the embedded poverty that lies behind much of the violence.
In fact, some people who live around the block of the shooting say they feel that Rochester has abandoned them. Yes, the Children's Zone - Surround Care effort had to close its doors, but there are several groups who are completely invested in building our community back to being that place where we are all proud of and feel safe to be in.
RiseUpRochester, with its major partners in Camp Good Days and Special Times, the police and fire Departments, City Recreation, Pathways to Peace, and the members of the Violence Intervention Coalition will hold another Project TIPS, in the heart of this community. On Friday, October 9, from 3 to 7 p.m., a project TIPS will be held using the corner of Hudson and Northeast as the epicenter. This collaborative effort brings people out of their homes so they can talk with their neighbors, take back their streets, and organize.
Rochester has the assets and the will to end the violence. Come out and be a part of the positive action. Rochester has the will and we have the leadership; we just need to work together to make it happen.
JED METZGER, Brighton
Metzger is an assistant professor of social work at NazarethCollege and is vice chair of the board of directors of RiseUpRochester.
Comments for "YOUTH VIOLENCE: We can rebuild our community" (1)
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Tom Shevlin said on Oct. 11, 2009 at 11:09pm
In this weeks "City", we have letters commenting on Mary Anna Towlers article regarding the crime and violence and its connection to the concentrated poverty in our city. A few pages later in a discussion with Dan Maffei, he is talking about the farmers in Wayne County who, because of the tightening of the immigration laws, can not find enough workers to harvest their crops. If people by the thousands can find the wherewithall to make their way from Central and South America to upstate NY, go to work and not only support themselves, but make enough money to get to the next part of the country that needs work AND send money back home to their families, and when the work is finished, find their way back home until next season, why can't people who live in Rochester find their way into the next county and do these jobs? What's that you ask? Would I do such a thing? Well, yes, As a matter of fact I have. I have been to the farm and worked alongside the migrants. It's hard work and long hours and low pay, but it's pay. And if thousands from here worked together to help the farmers in upstate NY, would that not help with the poverty problem? It would not totally eliminate it, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. It would help to keep the money here instead of going to other parts of the country and world and possibly cut down on some of the violence. But alas, American workers can't do this kind of work. Our ancestors did, but not us.
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