Do Residents Care About Areas Other Than Where They Live?
Posted by ryan on January 23, 2008
At last night’s meeting in New Irving Park it was evident that the residents of the neighborhood cared about what happens in their area of town. One question that came to mind was “do they care about what happens on the other side of town” and “do people on the bad side of town care what happens on the good side of town?”
After the meeting I had the chance to ask several residents if they have “ever considered that the individuals taking part in the criminal activity might be coming from what they consider to be the bad parts of town.” Most said, “that is a very good point.” I then followed up with “do you think that is a reason that residents of Greensboro need to come together and care about more than one part of the city?” Everyone answered with a “yes.”
Now that the meeting has passed and everyone has gone back to their day to day life, do you think residents care about areas outside that of which they live? What will it take to bring Greensboro together?
Greensboro Politics 
lk said
Of course they do. It is only natural to care about Greensboro as a whole. Long before this tragedy, it was apparent that we have a city wide crime problem. I wager that none of us at that meeting think that crime is limited to our neighborhood or that our issues should be the city’s highest priority. The simple fact of the matter is that other than being a vigilant and active community member, voting, and volunteering; there is little I as an individual can do to stop crime.
As much as it is an overgeneralization for a community to assume that money buys safety, it is just as inaccurate to think that percieved wealth equates to social apathy. I think the best way to come together is to focus on our commonalities more than differences.
Billy The Blogging Poet said
“do they care about what happens on the other side of town…”
Apparently not or they wouldn’t have waited until it came to their side of town do rise up and call for change.
“…do people on the bad side of town care what happens on the good side of town?”
Why should I, a resident of one of Greensboro’s most dangerous neighborhoods give a damn about what happens to people in New Irving Park when those very same people are responsible for what has been going on in my neighborhood for well over 30 years? For example: many of the homes used by the Bloods Gang which currently controls my neighborhood are owned by the Agapion Family who reside only 3 blocks from Mendenhall School. It’s a simple matter of going to the County Tax Office website and searching for property owners.
Look up 1108 Willard Street and you’ll find it’s owned by Bill Agapion’s son-in-law who lives in the house on Bruton Place South, a closed community where Agapion once lived.
As a matter of fact: large tracts of Greensboro’s poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods are owned by residents of Irving Park, New Irving Park, Starmount, Sedgefield and other high end neighborhoods. These people have been and are still getting very rich off of the poverty and violence that overruns much of this city and only when it comes to their neighborhoods do they do anything about it?
“What will it take to bring Greensboro together?”
I would think the answers quite obvious but for those who need it spelled out: When a few more residents of Irving Park die in their homes or happen to get shot at the Mall or in a restaurant. That’s when those who have the power of the purse strings of local government will decide change is necessary.
Erica said
it is not natural for people to only care about where they live; the natural state of the human heart is universal concern for all our brothers and sisters as we are all children of god. we continually lose our way, but need only remember there’s just one human family, no matter where we live.
Dale E. Sperling said
I assume that when you say good and bad you really meant poor and rich. Being poor does not make one bad any more than having money makes on good. Best example of that would be Jesus Christ and Adolph Hitler.
Does the rich side of town care about the poor side of town? Sure, if one of them is running for political office or if they can make money from a poor neighborhood.
Do poor neighborhoods care about the rich people? They can’t afford too.
ryan said
Dale,
Sorry for using “bad” so loosely. I was using a word that most people frequently use when talking about the “poor” sections of Greensboro.
Ryan