"Speak Out" is an expression of opinion from the Editorial Board of WBTV, and is presented by General Manager, Nick Simonette.
We live in a war zone.
It's not Iraq.
Nor Afghanistan.
But a war zone, nonetheless.
We report on shootings every day.
Usually it's bad guys versus bad guys.
But when stray bullets hit innocent people, how can we say our streets are anything but war-like?
Take this scene:
Two people were shot while driving by this club a few weeks ago.
Then there is this 3-year-old.
A bullet hit him in the leg two months ago in Hidden Valley.
The guy the bullet was meant for says he wasn't in a gang.
Police disagreed.
Or what about 15-year-old Amari Boyd?
She was shot when three guys fired a gun near East Meck High School.
Afterwards, one fellow student said,
"When you're walking down here you could be the next target. You could get shot anytime. Cause a bullet don't have no eyes."
Is that what we want?
To live in a place where kids feel okay saying, "You could get shot anytime"?
This is not just a police problem.
Making our community safer is up to police...the D-A...judges...probation officers...lawmakers....The list goes on.
It's a puzzle.
A big one.
You're one of the pieces.
Be aware of what's going on in your neighborhood.
Report things you see.
Track offenders who commit crimes.
Let's do as much as we can to keep the innocent still innocent...and our streets as NON-war-like as possible.
Tell us what YOU think. SpeakOut@wbtv.com.
