The reason nothing will change in Englewood is that too many people are marching and calling for truces and an end to the violence, and in front of the cameras, getting face time while the cameras are focused on the tragedy in Englewood. There's nothing wrong with that, except it just creates a flash of anger. Nothing is sustained. There's no plan.
Too few people are in deep thought innovating ways to build and sustain a long-term movement. Too few people are creating new ways to build involvement, ownership and public support from all parts of society, especially those who only read about poverty and tragedies like this in the paper. It will take a comprehensive vision, sustained over many years to change the conditions that make neighborhoods like Englewood feeding grounds for gangs, drugs and random violence.
The tragedy is, too few people follow up after the rage had died down to sustain and expand a movement long enough to do any good.
Change that and we change what’s happening in Englewood and in hundreds of inner city neighborhoods throughout the country where the same thing is happening.
Dan Bassill
Tutor/Mentor Connection
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