So if you've read my blog, you know that I'm a cheerleader for Cleveland and all of northeast Ohio. To be fair though, for all the good I read about, there are bad. Real bad. It's the reason why people like me have to fight from behind and find the silver linings where ever they can be found. Disinterest and fear have left our cities a hollow shell of what they once were. The vacuum of caring good people who have left Cleveland, Akron, and Canton have been filled over the years with bad people. They've settled into these once great cities and have made deep roots. This is beyond race, politics, and religion. It boils down to good and bad... right and wrong. Our once great neighborhoods have been decimated and neglected... and this is what we are left with.
The highs of our population were fueled by the opportunity of a decent living and a place to call our own. The hope of living their own little piece of the American dream brought your family and mine to this area. There was a pride that came with our forefathers and their neighbors succeeding in this great region together. Unfortunately those who wished to take advantage of that pure and wholesome ideal have ruined it for all of us. They are evil and greedy. They took and did not give back. They used our hopes and dreams against us and cut us off at every pass trying to make an easy life for themselves. They had no ethics or morals in which to stand on. They spread fear. Like locusts they ruined the great cities of the mid-west and moved on to parasitically drain the the next group of people for their own gain. The American way allows for many paths and this one could not be stopped.
On Saturday night a fight broke out on the boarder of Cleveland and Lakewood. People were hurt. Property was damaged. The area was left with yet another black eye. The people involved don't see the big picture. The people who comment and condemn are left looking for safety and answers. Every parade, celebration, and attempt to pull this city up now has to fight that much harder to convince people that our urban areas can thrive once again and be a place to live and work. Businesses are left to ponder whether it's safe to join this urban resurgence and bring jobs into the city or to go elsewhere. Families with children have yet another reason to stay safe in the suburbs or in other states. They just don't get that if we all work together for good, we can all come up together. We can all have jobs, families, and a decent wage. Our lives can be filled with fun and excitement. We can all be heroes. They've either lost track of this or were never privy to it to begin with. They have been left behind.
There's a reason why the people who are taking chances on Cleveland, Akron, Canton, and other big cities are called urban pioneers. They are slowly giving these areas a chance and giving themselves an opportunity to be a part of something great. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves. It does come with consequences sometimes though. No one will ever tell you that living in any big city is easy. You go home before dark. You lock your doors and set your alarms. You keep out of bad areas and stay in safe ones. This is the urban jungle and it still, for the most part, is inhospitable and dangerous. But there is a silver lining...
You are one of many and we are strong in our numbers. The more of us that move in and work for good, the more we push the bad out. We are cops, firefighters, teachers, and entrepreneurs. We see opportunity for success and change and we take it. Our voice is loud and will be heard. If it falls on deaf ears, we scream louder and find people who will listen. We take chances and when they don't pay off, we regroup, lick our wounds and try again. We organize the chaos and make strides to better even the worst of situations. These cities have a great past and have left us with the blueprints on how to make them great again. We will take these mistakes and right them. We will dust ourselves off and move forward. We hold the compass.
Tomorrow is another day my friends. The sun will rise and with it, so shall we. If you've ever wanted to be part of a revolution... this is your opportunity.
No comments:
Post a Comment