Fox Canyon Neighborhood Association, Inc.

FROM THE E-MailBox

Feb 27, 2005

Social Exclusion V Integration is a mechanism that needs to be explored to the greatest of degree, soon, and bring it to play a crucial role in local neighborhoods, as it is a basic component of our homeland security. Our society needs to wakeup and be aware of the fact that the next terrorists attach is going to be homegrown, and not from abroad. Conditions in ethnic and blighted neighborhoods, like Fox Canyon [with rows of old, dilapidated and crowed housing], which house a high index of very low income earners, refugees and undocumented immigrants, with no outlet for assimila-tion, acculturation and/or social mobility, are ripe for such profile. In addition, these neighborhoods also have a high index of substance abuse and a huge gang membership population, accustomed to violence, and totally innocuous to pain and suffering, plus the lack of respect for flesh and bone. In the last two decades, suburbia has lived terrorized by local street gangs that exercise ?“drive-by shootings, home invasions and street fights?”. With proper conditions, these people can easily turn into suicide bombers. The marriage of Al-Qaeda and street gangs is eminent and something to think; be alert and plan about. Although, not strongly critical of going awry illegal immigration, the war in Iraq and other national policies that take away investment in social and housing issues, something needs to be done to turn the tide around and removed such fertile soil, social and financial frustration, from the reaches of the seed of terrorism. Your article on the ?“Mara Salvatrucha?” strongly supports my thinking.
Michelle Thorpe
SDSU

Se?±or Presidente de Los Zorrillos [foxes]. Well my amigo, we are living now in this little peaceful and lovely town of Las Cruces, New Mexico. We really find it so, so comfortable here ?… man!!! I?’ve asked myself now, why we didn?’t make it here sooner? People are nice here, and it is really slow pace and very quiet. We have nice mountain views, and all the smog-free air you can breathe. You know there is an exodus of so cal people here now but the town is still nice and small, about 100k in population. Jose this is your home, if you ever wanna come and visit. Anyway I will give you a call in a few days for a lunch appointment, ok.
Steve Guerra
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Mr. Lopez: Thanks for the article on the ?“Mara Salvatrucha?”, English/Spanish, very good and highly commendable. Because my children (15-M & 13-F) were exposed to liquor, smocks, drugs, gangs, pedophiles, prostitutes, porn, gangster-rap, street crime, and a schools system and society that foster such culture, I made the effort to move my family from Encanto to Barrio Logan, in a futile effort to shield them. Unfortunately, with rental prices the way they are, every time we move, we have to downgrade, and that brought us to lower Auburn, about six month ago. As a parent I live in a constant state of fear about my children, especially about my little girl. My boy was ?‘jumped?’ on the street, on his way from school, by school children (he was 13, then), victim of a hate crime. From that savage beating, he has permanent damage and we do too. We have noticed an increase of thugs?’ traffic in our street. Because our history, it is very difficult for my wife and me to deal with such matters. But how much more careful can we need to be? My wife does mad-cow dashes to pick the kids from school, so they don?’t have to walk and be exposed, and after school they are virtual prisoners in their own home. If this gang [Mara] takes hold, do we need to move again?
Charles Mitchell
Lower Auburn

Mr. Mitchell: Although, I can?’t foresee the future and tell you what it will bring to you, I strongly sympathized and identify with you. I can definitely tell you that such was, and is, the real emotional state and reality in which I found the neighborhood when I moved-in. A terrible cultural and financial shock for a person reared in a sheltered middle-class neighborhood, with a different set of principles and culture. Therefore, I always thought of myself as one more ?“refugee?” in Fox Canyon. Many of our original neighbors have moved-out seeking the PANACEA that will bring them heaven to earth and forever eternal peace and happiness, in addition, to a perfect world. What I can definitely tell you is that if you and I unite our efforts and subscribe to community policing, political participation and neighbor organizing and support; and work hard in improving all the conditions that you mentioned above to eradicate them out, the environment in our neighborhood will continue to change and improve for the best. You and your family are not alone and don?’t have to suffer in silence. I invite you to attend our monthly neighborhood association meetings; to be one of our Neighborhood Watch Block Captains and to socialize with neighbors who work side by side to create our own PANACEA, here in Fox Canyon. Thanks for your email and the permission to print it.
Jose Lopez