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| Written by PI Editorial Board / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Saturday, 29 September 2007 | |
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Time to rebuild
Call it divine intervention — or a wakeup call for the city of Patterson. Regardless of how folks perceive it, it’s clear that last week’s gang brawl at Patterson High School has elicited heartfelt concerns from many people about the state of our community. Hundreds turned out for forums this week sponsored by the city and local school district. Some people were angry about the reactions of police and the school district to last week’s melee, while others supported police and the high school, saying everyone in the community needs to take individual responsibility. The one attitude everyone shares is a concern for this community and its future. The atmosphere is somewhat reminiscent of the period after Sept. 11, when local residents expressed shock and anguish, church pews filled up and residents said they felt a sense of community spirit and pride. In that case, Americans quickly heeded the call to get back to work and return to a normal way of life. Folks in those church pews quickly dwindled, and the only lesson the U.S. government seemed to learn was to engage in more conflicts in the Middle East. Hopefully, this will be different. Mayor Becky Campo urged residents Tuesday to continue to meet, and regular community gatherings will certainly be necessary to measure the pulse of the city’s gang problem. In the meantime, residents must work to meet their neighbors, and parents need to get to know their children’s friends and their friends’ parents. Parents, schools, police and the local faith community need to work together. As the Rev. Michael East of Agape Baptist Church said at Monday night’s forum, “The solution, ladies and gentlemen, lies right here in this room.” Honest dialogue about crime and police behavior also is needed. We need mutual respect between police and the community. Police have a difficult balancing act — vigilance about criminal activity without hounding every person who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Local residents must respect law enforcement in turn as we all work together toward that common cause. It’s important to note that good things are happening. It was great to hear that City Manager Cleve Morris and sheriff’s deputies are talking with the parents of gang members. It’s also good to hear the school district wants to look at programs other districts have used effectively to deal with gangs. It is encouraging to hear talk about counseling services for local teens. The city recreation department also is doing its part, trying to come up with more teen programs, such as movie nights and opportunities for pickup sporting events. We have a problem in Patterson — a problem that has existed for a number of years. Shifting blame exclusively onto newcomer residents or taking up a vigilante attitude toward our gang problems will not do any good. Instead, we need to join together to reach out to families, get to know each other and fight the increasing isolation among individuals that plagues society in general. Last week’s gang fights and resulting lockdown made Patterson residents aware of the city’s social and spiritual brokenness. Here’s to hoping that redemption springs from the ashes. Let the difficult work of community building begin.
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