Be nice to have Sinclair Lewis sit in on this one. If having $100 a barrel oil prices, or high property taxes isn't shaking you from your complacency, perhaps this will. People in Fort Wayne have looked down their primate noses when it comes to the SOUTH side of the city, and there are those among them that feel this perception is misplaced, and that indeed this part of town gets a "bum rap".
While I, on the other hand, have maintained for YEARS that this area of Fort Wayne has been inexorably going downhill faster than a runaway freight train down the old Matterhorn.
And it looks like I am right once again (get used to it...I have).
Today's paper has a small, but significant article regarding Gary, Indiana, the former murder capital of the nation. It appears as if the city would have that dubious title back...and quite soon. Last year's murder rate has risen to rival that of the current title-holder...New Orleans.
The entire article is here:
In the article, it explains that there is no "reason" for the rise in homicides, such as gang activity which was more prevalent during the 90s. One detective there says it is "all about me" when it comes to these murderers, adding that "these kids have no remorse".
I wonder how that bounces against ALL homicides or even the robberies we're seeing in OUR city, especially those committed by these "two black gunmen with dark clothing, ski masks and a silver handgun"? Looks like THESE two perps have no remorse as well, and it's only by the grace of God that THEY haven't killed anyone (that we know of) yet.
But the most devastating "nail in the coffin" for Gary was when city officials tried to attract a major retailer to the city (now pay attention...and take some notes). Mayor Clay said that this retailer "wanted the city to send them all kinds of statistics and promise to place a police (sub) station inside the big box". After a spike in homicides, the retailer backed out of the deal citing "operational cutbacks" (wink, wink...nudge, nudge) and that crime was "secondary".
But we all know the REAL tale of the tape, don't we?
It's all about CRIME, and as I have said here numerous times, NO ONE in their right mind would want to open up ANY business where there is a greater chance of shoplifting, robberies, burglaries, rapes and murder. That's not only putting shoppers at risk, but store personnel to boot...and that crap just won't float for ANY company's "bottom line".
They're in business to MAKE money...not see it fly out the window.
And the very SAME can be said for the SOUTH side of FORT WAYNE. Sure, we have a brand new Wal-Mart and a Menards, but we also have a spanking new police and fire academy within a stone's throw of those businesses, so that's a relatively moot point. What we do NOT have is shopping (practically) anywhere ELSE on the south side. We don't even have ONE damn BOOKSTORE down here. And wherever we DO have remnants of retail...that's where the crime is.
Southgate Plaza is a prime example.
If you had a dollar for every police call and/or crime in that area, you could retire early. And that's what happens EVERY damn day there. That's also why "we" don't shop there unless absolutely necessary (as well as very early when the perps aren't out of bed yet).
Those that think that crime isn't a problem down here...wake the F$&K UP! Stop sitting on your asses wondering WHY retail isn't chomping at the bit to develop down here...it's the CRIME...it will always be the crime (and those associated with it), and until the city starts taking this a lot more seriously, everyone from central city south that needs to shop (and that's pretty much anyone) will have to go everywhere else.
And that makes THOSE parts of town (or even OTHER TOWNS) smile all the way to the bank. The city has spent the past 25-30 years creating this "quasi-ghetto" down here, so they must have a vested interest in having "all their eggs in one basket" , societally-speaking (where they can keep an eye on them). In my eyes, that smacks of a racist mentality, but the criminals are loving it to no end.
Time to call the city's marker in on this one, and get them to turn it back around so decent people can live here without threats or intimidation.
Sticking something like Renaissance Pointe here is nothing more than another "ye olde carrot dangle" for whatever jackass is pulling the wagon. IF the city manages to fill all the houses they intend to build (yeah right...we can only hope), how long before it starts DEVOLVING (again) into what it currently is?
And whether you do a search for sex offenders, area crimes, or just look around the neighborhoods, you WILL find crime in abundance. They're mostly ALL down here, thanks to our severely-flawed judicial system. The homicide numbers bear that much out, as do the locales where robberies tend to occur.
Just start to worry when these criminals come to YOUR (nice, quiet) neighborhood, because they're running out of people to assault and accost down here. You'll wind up (Dennis Miller used this analogy) like Charlton Heston in that field, looking up, and seeing the chimp on the pony with a rifle, and then wonder to yourself "what the hell is going on HERE"?
Time to get right with what's right.
If anything can be gleaned from this, it's that we DO have the capacity to mimic Gary, or even Indianapolis....question is...WILL we?
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