Broad stroke of blame brings back memories

Back when I was a teacher in the city, we worked to combat the bullies/gangs blaming “the snitch” for the consequences of their actions.

Driving by a bar near 111th Street and Western Avenue, that broad stroke of blame brought me back to those days. It also brought me back to working there, bartending and waiting tables to pay my way through college. We had patrons then who were problem solvers, and we had regulars who were problem blamers. (Yes, folks, your servers hear you.)

To my neighbors who also saw the recent sign on the marque and were offended as I was, we all know that criminals are to blame for crimes in our country, not Democrats, nor Republicans, nor Libertarians, nor patrons at a bar.

Even though violent crime has significantly fallen since the early 1990s, about half from those years (Stastica, 9/2021), it is a problem today.

I’d like us to be a part of the solution.

Sheila O’Gorman