"We're a medium-size city
with big-city crime."
-Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Allentown
For those of us who grew up in Allentown, we always considered ourselves a medium-sized city with a small town feel. We were literally designated the All American City. One of the most amazing aspects of this transformation, is that our total population has essentially stayed the same since 1928, when we first achieved 100,000 people. Twenty years ago we lamented the loss of Hess Brothers and other symbols of our prosperity, now we mourn the loss of basic civility and safety.
above reprinted from May of 2010
ADDENDUM APRIL 5, 2022: In a discussion on Facebook about the changes that have occurred in Allentown, somebody wrote, "But neither of us can deny there is a strong undertow of racism in many of the comments we read on these Allentown sites." It is too easy to use the term "racism" to justify bad behavior... It intimidates and shuts people down....that's why we're having seating council members who marched shouting "F--K the Police, Defund the police." and then can even run for higher office.
The law to create a safe society is not racist. We hear this mantra continually, because more minorities are arrested and prosecuted and imprisoned it must be racist. Those victims of violence are often minorities, the perpetrators who are their neighbors are often also minoirites. That is the reality. Bad behavior is not confined to any race, but if you want to excuse violence from minorities as racist you will get more violence.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it has anything to do with race, but rather with whether one is willing to accept the responsibilities of living in a town the size of Allentown.
ReplyDeleteI would note that many who are quick to cry "racism" are in fact transplants from elsewhere, and blaming racism for everything that doesn't go their way is unfortunately part of the failed big city attitude that many who come here bring with them.
While Allentown might seem better than wherever they're from, those who have been here longer understand how far the city has fallen and how much better it could be. And they'd like to see things improve.
I'm assuming that those who move here do so for a reason, and it might be worth a little bit of introspection to realize why they came here in the first place. The city won't remain attractive to ANYONE unless everyone living here is willing to put in a minimum amount of effort.
I'll welcome anyone who is willing to maintain their property (and the area around it) and have some respect for their neighbors. What I don't need is to have music (of any type) blaring from morning until late evening; loud parties; kids jumping fences into other people's yards; litter being dropped wherever some people go; or watching single-family homes get illegally carved up into multiple units by out-of-town landlords.
I understand that many who come here aren't homeowners, but there is still a common responsibility.
That has nothing to do with race, but rather a small level of respect for where you live and those around you.