Hello Everyone,
Evelyn Here,
I just experienced a most disappointing display of social indifference today. For months now, I have been trying do what little I can to stop the flow of illegal drugs sold on the corner of my avenue and previous that I have tried to be the good citizen in reporting suspected crime.
The situation that I speak of today involves a co-worker who yesterday gave me strong impression that she was very concerned about the high rate of “Black on Black” in our city and particularly in her neighborhood, which differs from my neighborhood in location but crime wise the differences is small.
This woman invited me to join a rally that will be occurring tomorrow morning. I was delighted by her invitation and accepted. However, as with all such invitations that involve rally or marches publicly speaking out against crime, I wanted to check my source. I learned to do this after I was made a victim of “Black on Black” crime. I also check my sources because I know that the people I am trying to stop from selling the illegal drugs are not only still trying to cause my family and me trouble but have a relative working in the office who is actively pushing buttons to cause even more problems.
When I discovered that the woman who invited me to the rally was neither interested in it or getting involved with the problems of her own neighborhood nor the crime I face in my neighborhood, I wanted to understand why this change in her from yesterday. What I learned was that she never cared and because she made the situation into a screaming match, I came to believe that she and one or two others had done this on purpose but did not expect me to be so thorough and check into the situation. In fact she tried to talk me out of having my of deacon check to see if there would be anyone from of our parish who knew of the rally and if there might be someone who would be going that I could attend with.
Because it turned into a screaming match, we both had to speak with a supervisor and we were told not to talk about heated discussions such as religion and politics. This was fine with me; however, I made it clear that I no longer trusted this woman and that my supervisor no longer needed to worry about me discussing such topics any more and that I not longer trusted the motivation of a woman who invites me to the rally she herself care nothing about getting involving in.
Of all those I have spoken to about the situation, the one question we all asked was,
“Why would she invite me or even mention it to me if she did not want to involve herself?”
I agree that in some cases politics and religion should not be discussed, especially if it caused situations like today. However, I thought we where two mature adult women who cared about ridding or at less reducing our neighborhoods of its crime and also finding solutions that might help to end the “Black on Black” crime which is (as she stated) “common throughout the south side of the city where most Blacks lives”.
Lesson of the day: when it comes to standing up against crime whether it is “Black on Black” crime or from another source, trust no one, and if your instinct tells you to check the information provided to you, trust it.
Question: Was I further victimized by “Black on Black” crime today?
Evelyn out.
