Westown Block Watch

I am responding to your post for two reasons. One: I partially disagree with your viewpoint and Two: being that you grew up in Westown and your defense of the church's property, several have called me with the conclusion that it was I that wrote your posting.

You are correct ''another mom'' there are many bad people everywhere in this world. But educating children is just ONE thing that we can do. And I also agree with you that there are offenders of all sorts that live in our neighborhood that we are not aware of.

I believe in our justice system, and therefore lies the next thing you can do?….you can vote. Find out which judges hold the views that you feel are the morally right ones and then do your civic duty. When these sex offenders have been caught, prosecuted and sentenced, I trust the judicial system to make sure that they have served their time (which a majority of them are not required to fulfill the entire sentence handed down ?…. But that's anther topic for another day). When they have served their time ?… they are released. This means that in most cases their ''debt to society'' has been paid and the only further requirement as a condition to their release is to report as a sex offender.

When you discuss fairness?…where is your stand on the victim? Was it fair for them? I myself was a victim of rape at the age of 17. Do I forgive the man? Yes. Do I want him living next to my children and I? Heck no!! He made the choice to violate my life; he made the choice to outcast himself. Do I think that he can change? I certainly think that it would be much more difficult to change living in an environment where there are other sex offenders. If I wanted to quit drinking, I wouldn't think it advisable to live in an environment where others drink. These known convicted sex offenders are trying to rehabilitate while living in an environment that most reputable physiatrists say is not conducive to rehabilitation. Most of these offenders had NO rehabilitation prior to moving into these ''group homes'' and as stated above, most likely is not required as a condition of their release.

I know ''a very frightened and concerned mom''. She takes care of her children and doesn't allow them to run the street at night. She is legitimately worried about the safety of her family when they lay their heads down each night. She prays with and educates her children. She gets the notices about the offenders that come and go from the house behind hers. My grandparents live close enough that they too get the notices. I have personally seen them. These notices detail about how these offenders assaulted their victims. How they broke into their home and taped them up before they raped and assaulted them. Let's face it?…that's what they do. If you have seen the notices, you know that a majority of them are repeat offenders.

RE: A different perspective #2

You say that there are times when it IS just best to move out of a neighborhood that is going bad. But then the person who agrees with you by wanting to sell his home, you blame for not helping change the neighborhood in a positive way. I do not know these people and I am guessing that neither do you. I do not know if they have attended meetings, voted, volunteered and made their opinions heard. I don't know if they have tried to help our neighborhood change in a positive way and are just fed up (which from time to time, I feel that way).

In one breath you say, ''people are invited to try to change what they don't like instead of run away from it'' and then in the next you make a statement like ''these types of things have been around for hundreds of years, and they're not going to go anywhere''. I don't understand what side of the fence you stand? So in your thinking?…if say an adult porno shop decides to move in, your response is to ''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''? If your attitude is to just keep away from things that you don't agree with and not fight against it, I don't understand how that makes your neighborhood better.

I also grew up here and my husband did to. This is not the Westown that we grew up in. I remember the safety of Westown. I also know that at that time our parents and community stood united against what was wrong. And I don't care how you slice it?…. lumping sex offenders together in a home in a neighborhood is wrong.

I agree that many people have problems with the changes in our neighborhood. But it is up to us as individuals to voice our opinions as to what changes we feel are ''positive'' and ''negative'' for our community. Just like the Westown Watch attempts to hold meetings to get a feel for how the homeowners feel on particular situations so that they can stand up as a group behind those individuals. Unfortunately too many people complain about what the Block Watch does but don't show to voice their opinion (and I do not know who you are, so I am not referring to you in particular).

I do not agree with you that Fry's Electronics increased the value in our neighborhood. Maybe you do not know this, but insurance rates (car and homes) are based on crime ''hits''. For every attempted shoplifting, car theft etc. a hit is made and our rates go up when it reaches a certain level. In addition, Fry's has not worked with the neighbors that surround it. Many requests have been made asking them to adjust their parking lot lights that shine right into the bedroom windows on homes on 31st Avenue. All requests are ignored.

This is a statement taken directly from the sex offender website. ''Furnishing the public with information regarding convicted sex offenders is a critical step towards encouraging the public to protect themselves from potential future acts.'' A critical STEP. There are others. Educate, vote, inform, unite, investigate and protect. All these can still be done within the Lord's commandments to forgive and love.

I truly appreciate your dedication to Westown and would love to speak further with you regarding this issue?…even privately if you so chose.