"The infectiousness of crime is like that of the plague." Napoleon Bonaparte
New Orleans has been considered by many to be the murder capital of all the United States cities. According to NOLA.com, "New Orleans saw homicides jump by 14 percent last year, ending the year with 199 killings. For the previous three years, the murder rate in New Orleans had stabilized at around 175 killings a year. Even that number was a staggering amount that gave New Orleans the highest per-capita murder rate in the country by a comfortable margin." These numbers are staggering, to say the least, and warrant careful consideration with what route to take next to solve the crime problems in the city.
While I do not have the power to change the crime epidemic that we are experiencing, I do have one ability in which I can attempt to help the city. I can communicate with the people. In the face of this plague we need to be ever watchful and vigilant. We need to watch for our neighbors; both those we get along with and those we do not. We need to protect our children, making sure they understand the dangers of the world around them as well as the beauty of it and the goodness of the people that inhabit it. We need the help of the community to keep our youth out of trouble, instilling them with the will to do what is right. We need the help of the schools to promote goodness and motivation in our youth. We need the help of everyone in this city to never give up and never lose hope. It is time to stand up and to stop the violence. It is our responsibility now. Let us be the hope amid the sorrow...
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
This New Year
"When did we stop believing in our dreams and start believing we cannot achieve them?"
This upcoming New Year, in my opinion, will be full of excitement, challenges, and great achievements. I have noticed the citizens of New Orleans, as well as the people at large, have lost much hope in themselves and each other due to a variety of reasons; financial instability, crime, education, and lack of opportunity all are contributers... Our flame of hope is dwindling and I believe it important to remind the citizens of New Orleans that there is nothing that cannot be achieved. So often we allow the media, friends, teachers, coworkers, family members, or even our nation's leaders to influence or dictate what we believe, how we feel, and how we act. In this process our beliefs become distorted and we lose sight of our dreams and hopes because we feel the crippling power of doubt; we often experience this in the terms of seeing something as being "unrealistic" or "out of our reach".
The message I wish to convey and restore for the new year is of great potential and possibility. Napoleon Hill, an excellent author and visionary, stated that "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve". Hill greatly encouraged that even the average person, without money or power could reach success, achieve their dreams, and reach their goals; he wished for his readers what I wish for us all... to find the meaning of success and to use it to achieve one's goals. The citizens of New Orleans are a mighty people. You, the citizens of New Orleans, have the ability to make change in your lives and to make change in the community. The ability to dream, hope, and envision your goals must never be clouded by doubt. This new year make something special happen for yourself and/or for others....
Have faith, my friends. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. You truly can achieve anything, do not be cast down with doubt.
This upcoming New Year, in my opinion, will be full of excitement, challenges, and great achievements. I have noticed the citizens of New Orleans, as well as the people at large, have lost much hope in themselves and each other due to a variety of reasons; financial instability, crime, education, and lack of opportunity all are contributers... Our flame of hope is dwindling and I believe it important to remind the citizens of New Orleans that there is nothing that cannot be achieved. So often we allow the media, friends, teachers, coworkers, family members, or even our nation's leaders to influence or dictate what we believe, how we feel, and how we act. In this process our beliefs become distorted and we lose sight of our dreams and hopes because we feel the crippling power of doubt; we often experience this in the terms of seeing something as being "unrealistic" or "out of our reach".
The message I wish to convey and restore for the new year is of great potential and possibility. Napoleon Hill, an excellent author and visionary, stated that "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve". Hill greatly encouraged that even the average person, without money or power could reach success, achieve their dreams, and reach their goals; he wished for his readers what I wish for us all... to find the meaning of success and to use it to achieve one's goals. The citizens of New Orleans are a mighty people. You, the citizens of New Orleans, have the ability to make change in your lives and to make change in the community. The ability to dream, hope, and envision your goals must never be clouded by doubt. This new year make something special happen for yourself and/or for others....
Have faith, my friends. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. You truly can achieve anything, do not be cast down with doubt.
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