Martin Luther King said, “A riot is the language of the unheard” and that is the message American leaders failed to hear decades ago.
On May 29, 2020, thousands of people marched on American streets. The death of George Floyd was the spark for riots across America. So how can we stop anger and riots toward police from happening over and over again?
During the Corona Virus pandemic, Americans listened to their leaders and stayed home, wore masks and social distanced from their families and friends. They felt involved and even admonished each other if their fellow citizens didn’t wear a mask. Why… because they were “in it together” and everyone wanted to stay safe.
As the country started to open up, the death of George Floyd sent people into the streets to protest police. They no longer felt, “in it together.”
So how do we get people “in it together” to help make cities safer for everyone?
Community involvement is the key! When citizens are actively working together, they don’t feel powerless because they have a voice.
As a crime and violence prevention specialist for 40 years, I’ve brought people together and taught residents how to protect their families and take responsibility for neighborhood safety. By empowering citizens, we reduced crime, improved community/police relations and at the same time, reduced fear as we brought neighbors together. The national average is 2.5 police officers for every 1000 citizens. It is impossible for the police to protect you! Everyone must work together to stay safe.
Over the years, I saw crime growing out of control in some areas with gangs taking over. Today violence cost taxpayers $229 billion a year. Last week in Chicago, 10 people were killed and 30 injured. This can and must be stopped! If we continue to ignore socially isolated citizens which allows crime and violence to thrive, we will continue to go down this self-destructive path to socialism and control over people’s lives. Freedom is an inner journey of the mind, body and spirit. Freedom does NOT come from government or police but how Americans decide to live their lives.
The vast majority of citizens want to live in peace in their community and keep their children safe, however, city leaders must do a better job of supporting residents with an understanding of how a democratic society and freedom can help all of us grow and prosper together.