Tonight: Peace Not Guns Rally

[JakeL]

After three murders in South Philly within 10 hours, Councilman Johnson will be holding a rally tonight at 6 at Childs Elementry. While I don't think this rally will end the violence, I do think it's a good initiative to support. Hope to see you there.

[ofeibush]

Perhaps we should get rid of all the City owned vacant land, put more eyes on the street, add additional street lights, and install more cameras? Why does every politician when they see a problem plan a rally? Why not put forward solutions? The politicians are the reason for all this crime....they allow their communities to remain blighted instead of taking the basic steps to improve them.




Ori

[BrianL]

Perhaps we should get rid of all the City owned vacant land, put more eyes on the street, add additional street lights, and install more cameras? Why does every politician when they see a problem plan a rally? Why not put forward solutions? The politicians are the reason for all this crime....they allow their communities to remain blighted instead of taking the basic steps to improve them.




Ori

What Ori said, a rally won't fix a thing!

[senorsanchez]

Perhaps we should get rid of all the City owned vacant land, put more eyes on the street, add additional street lights, and install more cameras? Why does every politician when they see a problem plan a rally? Why not put forward solutions? The politicians are the reason for all this crime....they allow their communities to remain blighted instead of taking the basic steps to improve them.




Ori

You are wrong! Blight be good for bizness. What will stop the violence is no more roof decks, no more three-story homes, and worldwide acceptance of hoodies! And if only someone would build a business providing foot doctor services there will be no more violence. By the way love the coffee! Holla!

[JakeL]

What Ori said, a rally won't fix a thing!

If you look at the rally as the end, rather than a means to an end, you're completely right, a rally does not stop shootings. A rally doesn't intimidate shooters to stop shooting, it doesn't root out the violent murders. However, these rallies, run by CeaseFire and other groups, are part of a broader initiative to change public perceptions, engage the community and at-risk youth and ultimately break this cycle of homicides.

CeaseFire, which was created by an Infectious Disease doctor, took his understanding of stopping infectious diseases and placed this concept in the framework of homicides. Stopping the spread of homicides requires the invasive action that it takes to stop the spread of a disease. The hallmark of this program is mentors who used to be criminals to try to put an end to this. In addition, the canvasing and rallies are part of the overall idea, designed to target the hotspot areas, change public perception, and assisting those most at risk for committing a homicide. Studies, such as this one done by John Hopkins University shows that the program provides statistically significant impacts in communities with high homicide rates compared to those that did not implement the program.

After being woken up to gunshots on Saturday night, as well as hearing them a block away Sunday afternoon, I was glad to participate in rally right in the middle of where these shootings happened to make a public statement. I'm grateful for the community members that do want to take a stand and end violence in our community and while a march will not in itself fix the problem, it's part of a broader, comprehensive strategy aimed at chipping away at the violence that paralyzes our city.

[sharkey]

How about peace WITH guns. They are not exclusive realities.

[JakeL]

How about peace WITH guns. They are not exclusive realities.

Valid point, one of the speakers tonight (I forget which group) did say something along the lines of "Guns should be protecting yourself and your home" so even within gun control groups, they may agree on legitimate uses, including self protection.

I shoot too, however, it didn't even click for me this phraseology of the rally name. The crime driven gun usage in the city, often involving illegal purchases by felons is so far removed from my use of a gun, shooting skeet with an ancient shotgun in the Poconos that gun talk here feels so far removed from my gun usage. Maybe they could call it 'Peace not (illegal) guns,' but that may not have the same ring to it.

[ofeibush]

So whats the comprehensive strategy? Right...there is none. A rally is for votes. It brings awareness to an issue as well....but I guess hearing gun shots every day brings attention to an issue too.

In short....horse****! If you want to stop violence empower your police officers to arrest drug dealers selling dime bags on the front stoop of the 17th Police Precinct and start encouraging development in your neighborhood rather than preventing it.

[torts]

I agree with Ori. Prayers, rallies, and marches are for the birds.

[lemko]

Valid point, one of the speakers tonight (I forget which group) did say something along the lines of "Guns should be protecting yourself and your home" so even within gun control groups, they may agree on legitimate uses, including self protection.

I shoot too, however, it didn't even click for me this phraseology of the rally name. The crime driven gun usage in the city, often involving illegal purchases by felons is so far removed from my use of a gun, shooting skeet with an ancient shotgun in the Poconos that gun talk here feels so far removed from my gun usage. Maybe they could call it 'Peace not (illegal) guns,' but that may not have the same ring to it.

Why not simply "Peace Not Violence?" The guns aren't the problem, it's felons with illegally obtained guns, or any other weapon, that's the problem!

[Ho Chi Minh]

So whats the comprehensive strategy? Right...there is none. A rally is for votes. It brings awareness to an issue as well....but I guess hearing gun shots every day brings attention to an issue too.

In short....horse****! If you want to stop violence empower your police officers to arrest drug dealers selling dime bags on the front stoop of the 17th Police Precinct and start encouraging development in your neighborhood rather than preventing it.

It's nothing more than a photo-op for Johnson. And judging by his low profile, this is probably as good as it gets for him.

Building a teddy bear mountain doesn't do squat.

[DaTruf]

Peace Not Guns, Inc. was established in 1998 after the murder of Sultan “Chick” Chandler, cousin of Kenyatta Johnson, in the schoolyard of G.W. Childs Elementary School. After learning of Sultan’s murder, Johnson, then a community organizer, decided to seek ways to change the direction of his community.

What's the action plan here: ____________

This area needs ALL the development and help it can get so kids around here growing up and seek change as others have around them. They need to look up to new stuff that's not government housing given away. An item has no valve if you can get it for free by having kids and filling out forms. Good role models are not rappers, dealers and pimps from housing projects.

Who cleans up after the teddy bears soak up all the dog pee it can soak up?

[nonlinearedits]

Perhaps we should get rid of all the City owned vacant land, put more eyes on the street, add additional street lights, and install more cameras? Why does every politician when they see a problem plan a rally? Why not put forward solutions? The politicians are the reason for all this crime....they allow their communities to remain blighted instead of taking the basic steps to improve them.

BOOM. Very well put.

[torts]

I'd take it a step further and push for drone strikes

[ArcticSplash]

This rally reminded me to go renew my LTCF back on Monday.




And that I'm also ISO a gently-used Taurus PT1911 if anyone has one handy.

[ArcticSplash]

If you look at the rally as the end, rather than a means to an end, you're completely right, a rally does not stop shootings. A rally doesn't intimidate shooters to stop shooting, it doesn't root out the violent murders. However, these rallies, run by CeaseFire and other groups, are part of a broader initiative to change public perceptions, engage the community and at-risk youth and ultimately break this cycle of homicides.

CeaseFire, which was created by an Infectious Disease doctor, took his understanding of stopping infectious diseases and placed this concept in the framework of homicides. Stopping the spread of homicides requires the invasive action that it takes to stop the spread of a disease. The hallmark of this program is mentors who used to be criminals to try to put an end to this. In addition, the canvasing and rallies are part of the overall idea, designed to target the hotspot areas, change public perception, and assisting those most at risk for committing a homicide. Studies, such as this one done by John Hopkins University shows that the program provides statistically significant impacts in communities with high homicide rates compared to those that did not implement the program.

After being woken up to gunshots on Saturday night, as well as hearing them a block away Sunday afternoon, I was glad to participate in rally right in the middle of where these shootings happened to make a public statement. I'm grateful for the community members that do want to take a stand and end violence in our community and while a march will not in itself fix the problem, it's part of a broader, comprehensive strategy aimed at chipping away at the violence that paralyzes our city.

The only infectious-disease is a lack of personal accountability, parenting skills, willingness or any desire to be even the remotest-bit productive, and an obsession with being "disrespected" even though few of the objects of disrespect could even define what that word means. Add to the mix a 24% poverty rate and 40+ years of decline in a neighborhood with local government contributing practically nothing in the way of an environment to reverse that situation, and so a crime-incubator was born.


Want crime to go down? Foster development. Recycle property back into the market at breakneck-speed. Encourage crime-committing elements who live in Philadelphia to leave--hopefully to diffuse to areas outside the City where police are more apt to deal with those people. Encourage productive and contributive citizens to grow and locate into Philadelphia who can shoulder the burden of paying for the myriad of services our City needs to function. Recycle the new monies gained by that growth back into City services to encourage more of that growth and establish a positive feedback loop to arrest and erase the downward spiral that Philadelphia has been mired in since 1957.

[O.H. Lee]

This rally reminded me to go renew my LTCF back on Monday.




And that I'm also ISO a gently-used Taurus PT1911 if anyone has one handy.

Is that a Mini-14 or Mini-30 that you are holding?

[JakeL]

The only infectious-disease is a lack of personal accountability, parenting skills, willingness or any desire to be even the remotest-bit productive, and an obsession with being "disrespected" even though few of the objects of disrespect could even define what that word means. Add to the mix a 24% poverty rate and 40+ years of decline in a neighborhood with local government contributing practically nothing in the way of an environment to reverse that situation, and so a crime-incubator was born.

Then you would have been glad to hear the numerous calls at the rally by Men United for Philadelphia and CeaseFire that the men in the black community need to 'man up' and are personally responsible for resolving the lack of parenting, disregard for jobs and education, and violence. There was very little said about guns, a whole lot said about the state of the black community, the culture in the black community that permeates black-on-black murder, and the requirement for the black community to own up to the issues that cause the violence.

[ArcticSplash]

Is that a Mini-14 or Mini-30 that you are holding?

Modded mini 30.

[ArcticSplash]

Then you would have been glad to hear the numerous calls at the rally by Men United for Philadelphia and CeaseFire that the men in the black community need to 'man up' and are personally responsible for resolving the lack of parenting, disregard for jobs and education, and violence. There was very little said about guns, a whole lot said about the state of the black community, the culture in the black community that permeates black-on-black murder, and the requirement for the black community to own up to the issues that cause the violence.

I don't think even that will have the remotest dent in violent crime because it's not reaching the people who need to be reached, only the people who are receptive to the message.

For instance, if I decided to hold a major rally in Konrad Square and McPhereson Square over a weekend to call out to the White and Puerto Rican oxycontin-addicted community, to stop committing breaking-and-enterings and muggings in my neighborhood--how many of those offenders would actually turn out? Maybe a few relatives of those offenders will be motivated to leave their rowhomes for it, but to little effect.

Diffusion and displacement are the easier solutions. Diffusion is reducing the opportunities for crime-prone individuals to live in the neighborhood by going after nuisance properties and eliminating blight and increasing the quality of education so that fewer of these folks turn into that population or spawn offspring to enter the criminal element of society, and displacement is providing strong incentives for those types of individuals to leave the area. That takes breaking the Stop Snitchin' culture, tailing known repeat-offenders as soon as they are released, being a bit more draconian about QOL crime so there's less a sense of lawlessness around that would convince someone who's attitude "man, the po-po is always on my @$$ I hate this place. Me and my girl are leaving".... to actually make good on that and actually LEAVE; preferably to somewhere less populated so their antics are less likely to cause harm to anyone else and also in an area that's got more to spend on policing and bored cops willing to do it vs. the overstretched ones we have here.


I'm not looking for long-time Philadelphians to ever enlighten themselves. That is just hopeless. The better solution to an unwinnable game is to change the playing field, not the pieces.