Thursday I made the right decision by not attending the Chamber of Commerce trip to Washington. Instead, I attended the anti-gang meeting sponsored by the Board of Education, and also attended a NAACP function. Both were positive and empowering for the community. Mayor Robinson-Briggs honored women in the community for their services at the NAACP function. I was happy to be able to congratulate the honorees because these are individuals who on a daily basis, make life in the City better for all of us. Dr. Gallon invited me to the anti-gang meeting which was very insightful. I was able to attend the question-and-answer segment of the anti-gang program.
Listening to some of the concerns which were raised and the responses, it became clear that the most important issue is presenting viable solutions to the gang problem that is affecting not only local municipalities, but also the state and nation. As pointed out in Friday’s Courier News, federal officials report that gangs are responsible for up to 80 percent of crimes nationwide. Obviously this is not just a local problem.
This Saturday I am chairing a meeting of my colleagues in the New Jersey State Legislative Black caucus with Governor Jon Corzine. We will discuss New Jersey’s financial woes and how to deal with the State’s budget. We must ensure that the bulk of the funding which should come to our inner cities is not reduced, so that it can be used to deal with issues of crime.
In this year’s gubernatorial race, crime will obviously be at the top of the list for both parties. Former US Attorney Chris Christie, and Governor Jon Corzine and his Attorney General have focused on crime. But my concern on Saturday will be, how do we deal with the gang activity crippling our communities? And what plans can we put into place to deal with some of the concerns raised at Thursday’s anti-gang meeting here in Plainfield?
These concerns are not new. It is time to move forward in overcoming gang activity by helping our young people and taking back our communities. Therefore when we meet with the Governor Saturday, I will address the issues of gang-related activity and the development of time-tables of solution-based initiatives.
On Thursday, many powerful questions were posed. What made them even more powerful was that they came from our young people. Here are some of those questions:
-If I want to get out of a gang, who can I go to for help without putting my life in jeopardy?
-If I want to start making a legitimate living, who do I go to for help in getting a job?
-If I have already paid my debt to society, how do I get my record clean so that when I apply for a job, my application does not get thrown into the garbage because I have a my record?
-Without a job, how am I supposed to support myself and my family?
These questions are just the tip of the iceberg. We are not even talking about the societal impacts that gangs have on all of us. During these harsh times, our young people are looking to us for answers and for help, and I do not want them to be discouraged and turn to the streets or criminal lifestyles.
We need to do more as a community. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Moving forward, I would like to see more focus and more feedback in identifying problems and offering solutions. This means that we as a community are going to have to continue in the direction our President Barack Obama is leading us – unity and progress. We cannot afford to sit on our hands; our children are the ones who suffer from our inaction.
I would sincerely appreciate it, and so would our town and neighboring communities, any input or help concerned citizens can offer. Since both gubernatorial candidates will be addressing this issue in their respective platforms, let’s help get the ball rolling. I look forward to getting feedback in helping our young people turn their lives around and making our city safer.
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