It Is Time

January 8, 2009

A good friend of mine in South Carolina starts off a meaningful sentence with the words, “It Is Time..”  Well, Atlanta It Is Time for our elected officials to grow a pair.  Never have I felt so afraid of living in a city before.  Never have I felt this deserted by the officials who are in charge of this sweet southern city.  Where are our elected officials?  Why do I only hear about budget cuts when there are literally people dying in violent break-ins throughout the city.

A couple of months ago, the list serves of East Lake, Cabbagetown, East Atlanta, Edgewood, Reynoldstown, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, and the Virginia Highlands were discussing the wave of violence in Atlanta.  People getting held up in broad day light for cash, people’s homes being broken into in the middle of the day, women being raped at the hands of robbers - as they plunder for that friggin flat screen tv.  And yet, Atlanta freezes hiring of police officers, furloughs city workers, and cuts pay.  How did we get here?  Why are we here?  At this point, I could go on and on, but I won’t.  I will just say to the elected officials and whoever decides to run for Mayor of Atlanta, that you better help us.

What put me over the edge was the senseless and reprehensible crime that happened at The Standard, a local bar on Memorial - close to the Capitol I might add.  The four thieves who broke into the bar early Wednesday morning as two employees were cleaning up wanted money and ALL of these young men had guns.  Not only did they take the money, they killed the 27 year old bartender execution style - shot him in his legs and head.  This crime is disgusting, yet it is avoidable.  But, not without the help of our elected officials.  We must push our elected officials to do something - or nothing will change - because nothing has yet.  It has only gotten worse.

If you live in Atlanta and are afraid -and I am not being dramatic here - that this place is turning into Gotham, please join a new group Atlantans Together Against Crime and Cutbacks so that we can be the change that yes, we do believe in.

Technorati Tags: violence in Atlanta, The Standard, a local bar on Memorial, Atlantans Together Against Crime and Cutbacks

Posted in What the *^#@? by ashley