Westown Block Watch

This is in reference to the sex offenders conversations from a few months ago -
I am also a mom and so I definitely relate to a mothers concern for her children's safety. However, there are bad people everywhere in this world, and the only thing that we can do about this is to educate our children about these bad people. Children can not be kept sheltered all of their lives, and they need to know how to deal with tough situations and tough people. It is awful that our neighborhood will/may have these people living here. But I bet there are many 'offenders' that have never been caught, and have lived in this neighborhood for longer than any of us would like to believe. Just because these people are known offenders does not make them unrehabilatatable. If you believe in our justice system, then you have to believe that these people have served their time, and it is not fair for them to be outcasted. We need to be forgiving to people, and believe that people can change. And at the same time, protect your children by educating them about where to play, when to come inside (after dark? when a strange car drives by 4 times? when a cyclist passes once too many?) the house, where to ride their bikes (NOT in alley's or behind businesses), etc. And also we need to pray to our God in heaven that our children are given sense to know when they may be in danger, and pray that our children be safe and that the Lord protect over them always. We cannot hide our children from the world of sinful people, but we can teach them about these things, and pray that they stay safe from them.

By Another Mom

house for sale

I have bad people living next door, across the street and around the corner. You are right bad people are here and I have taught my children what to do in a number of situations. I am not as forgiving as you. I do not like our new group homes and Im sure Im not alone. So go ahead and be a bigger person than I and forgive these new neighbors and watch as home after home is put up for sale.

By moving soon

Don't get me wrong....

Don't get me wrong - there are times when it IS just best to move out of a neighborhood that is going bad. But I like our neighborhood. I grew up here, and I wasn't afraid to roam the streets at night when I was a teenager, and I'm still not - as an adult. I enjoy this neighborhood and I would rather try to better it than to just simply move from it. Everyone is welcome to move when they don't like what is going on in their neighborhood. Likewise, people are invited to try to change what they don't like instead of run away from it. Things like the C-Break carrying pornography (this is only hearsay according to me, because I've never actually been in there)... Well, these types of things have been around for hundreds of years, and they're not going to go anywhere. Just like there ARE gay people in this world - it doesn't mean you have to be one of them if you don't think it's appropriate. If the C-Break carries pornography and you don't like it, keep your kids away from it, educate them on that kind of thing. Trust me, they're going to run into it sooner or later and having had to talk to them about it sooner is probably better than them finding out about things like that before you had the chance to talk.

I'm just trying to say that the stuff that is happening in our neighborhood - the church growth, the new shops, the old shops, the new neighbors, etc - this is NOT bad. This is change, and people don't like change, no matter what it is. How many people complained when Fry's Electronics was being built? A lot. But it does bring up the value of the neighborhood. And how many people are complaining about the church growth (which personally I don't understand!)? But the church being there DEFINITELY makes our neighborhood SOOO much safer! There was a liquor store there before, and mostly the buildings and shops were EMPTY. Now it is full. It is bringing business to Dairy Queen, and the Bent Cover, and people are in and out of the neighborhood, and the drug dealers can't go deal their drugs at the Westown shopping center because there are lights in the parking lot, and people there several times a week.
Maybe the sex offenders will start going to church. Maybe the sex offenders won't be as likely to walk around the neighborhood where there is a huge church looking for victims - or whatever you think they're going to do. I'm not trying to be deliberately rude to you, just honest, when I say that I'm glad that people like you are moving because if you're not going to try to help our neighborhood change in a positive way - if you can only complain and whine about how you hate everything that is happening, but the only thing you're willing to do about it is move - then it's good for you and it's good for our neighborhood that you do move.

By Another Mom