|
"What You Talking Bout?"
Have you ever had someone make a statement to you and even though you were sure of what they said, your brain simply could not process the enormity of the comment? It reminds me of the old sit-com
"Different Strokes." Whenever a statement was made to Arnold that was beyond his comprehension, from his older brother, he would always reply, "What you talking bout Willis?" That seems to be the frame of mind that most of us are in these days. We hear what is being said, but we just can not believe that it is actually being said. As I talk to different people throughout the county, I have seen the "Willis" look on the faces of many people when I talk about the things that are going on in our county. "What you talking bout?"
When I tell people that we hit an all time high last year with our homicide rate, I see the look. They are hearing me but it is just not registering. It is like they hear me but they do not believe me. I can almost hear their thoughts as they are listening to me. Surely, there is no way that nearly forty people were murdered in Gwinnett County last year. He must be talking about another county. I wish that I was. But, the families of nearly forty dead people will tell you that I am right.
When I talk about the 2000 gangs and 20,000 gang members that are operating in our communities, according to a recent WSB radio report, people sit stone faced as if they really do not think that it is that big of a problem. After all, the only concern many of us have is what is going on in our own neighborhoods. If we have not seen gangs in our neighborhoods, can it really be as bad as people are saying? "What you talking bout?"
Home invasions are on the rise. Serious crimes are being committed in our schools. High school kids are overdosing. Dangerous drugs from the seventies era are making a come back with our kids. Teenage suicide is on the rise in our country. I can hear the thoughts as they bounce off the walls of their brain. Why is this man saying all of this stuff? Why is he trying to scare us? I do not believe that it is as bad as he is saying! The collective thoughts from the crowd, which are never uttered, pierce the air with a deafening crescendo. I can see the faces glaring at me and I have my own silent thought. "Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger."
Sadly, the information that I talk about is true. It is not pleasant to hear and it is not pleasant to say. But, simply ignoring these facts is in part what got us to this point. We called gang members "wanna-be's" all the way up to the point that they started killing each other. We deny that we have schools at risk. It will make us look bad if those stats are reported. We look at drug use among our kids and say it is not all that bad. How many times have you heard someone say, "drugs were around when I was a kid, and I turned out okay"? Oh really?
While we now find ourselves at a pivotal crossroads as to how we will respond to crime related issues in our county, we also find ourselves with a unique opportunity. We can send a message to criminals and those who have enjoyed the fruits of a crime ridden environment, that the road is about to be repaved. Every pothole, every asphalt crack, and every blemish in the pavement will be resurfaced. It will be repaved with new ideas, a strong professional law enforcement presence, and a backbone from our community and church leaders that will not bend. It is a new time, a new day, and we are turning back the clock on our county to a time when criminals knew that Gwinnett was not the place to be in business. It is time that the "what you talking bout" look be on their faces, not ours!
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
If you are interested in having Mr. Hall speak at your next club or group meeting, please email contact information to:
SHallBadgeNotes@aol.com
043004
Archives
|
