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Sunday, May 24, 2015

IS THE DEATH PENALTY OK IN HARTFORD?

Comments posted on other social media sites the last few days seem to be stating  that Hartford's recent homicide victims are the result of their drug dealing ways. Now I don't doubt that many of the victims are living less than stellar, crime free lifestyles. But I have also not seen HPD state that they are all drug dealers , or even make the link for that matter between the homicides and any alleged motives. I think the posters are ready to assume that since they are murdered, they must be up to no good.

You know  what they say happens when you "assume".

This morning a visiting pastor from Shrewsbury , Massachusetts was shot 4 times in front of the Church of the Nazarene on Capitol Avenue. The pastor's crime crime? Sticking American flags into the ground lining the sidewalk of the church in honor of Memorial Day. If you fall in line with the Downtown thinking, he must be a drug dealer to  invite being shot 4 times.

Also, many of the recent shootings involve numerous shots fired, evidence shows in some cases 25 or more rounds fired. In one of the cases after 26 rounds, the victim was only grazed once. Where do you think those other rounds went? Accuracy is clearly not the priority or strong point of Hartford's shooters. Who knows where the other rounds landed

Could an innocent victim just driving by on Main Street take a bullet? Could a child sleeping in their bedroom be a victim of wayward bullets. How about a senior sitting by their front window watching television. To say that the violence only affects drug dealers is both ignorant as well as irresponsible. We should be screaming at our City leadership to end this violence, not condoning it by thinking " I am not a drug dealer so it won't happen to me"

And anyone that knows anything about economic development should understand that violent crime , especially homicides and gun violence makes it very difficult to attract new residents and businesses, no matter what the excuse. Anyone who has paid attention to Chief Rovella's public speeches knows he often partners Hartford's crime rate with the possible success or future of Hartford's Economic Development potential. To ignore the connection is shortsighted.

Until then, sentencing criminals to death at the hands of other criminals in Hartford is not acceptable. We will probably see many innocent victims of Hartford's death penalty by the end of summer of we are willing to accept it.

Luckily Pastor Seely is expected to survive his shooting, at least 10 others so far this year have not.

At least one Police Official told me this morning  Pastor Seely's shooting may have been a gang related type of initiation  to show that the shooter "was worthy", If that has any possibility of being true, that is a very scary thought.

Mayor Segarra and Council, what is the plan? Have you thought about what needs to be done. Show us some leadership please.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kevin

I also read those comments on the "other social media " site. I found them by extremely ignorant and obnoxious, especially the people making them. I won't call their comments racist, that seems like a convenient excuse now a days, but it clearly shows the "white privledge" that Hartford's Do0wntowners seem to feel they are entitled to. One of them gets mugged downtown and we need to call in the FBI, someone gets murdered elsewhere in the City and it is no big deal, they deserved it. By the way, it seems as those comments and the original posting have been removed from the "other social media" site

Anonymous said...

@Anonymous 1:49 p.m. I agree wholeheartedly with what you've said here, and posted something very similar myself on the Courant's comment page this week.

The "Dwelling Downtown" Facebook people seem to live their lives in a gated community vacuum, oblivious to what happens in the other 98% of the city where most residents live. Their main concerns this week are: limited hours at downtown coffee shops; missing dogs; whether or not more parking garages are needed downtown; creating more housing for upscale millenials, and non-working fountains.

As long as homicides occur in other neighborhoods, it is of minor concern to them. Keeping the homeless and urban teens out of their little slice of heaven is a concern. The "dwellers" are--with a few exceptions--inconsequential people with small minds and hearts, a narrow focus, and a sore lack of empathy.

Anonymous said...

I am a proud "downtown dweller" but have to agree. Too many people in my neighborhood feel like they've paid for the right to special treatment that the rest of the city doesn't get. It's like Scarborough East.

peter brush said...

We should be screaming at our City leadership to end this violence
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I don't know about the "comments" to which you refer, but I doubt you'll find many people who disagree that crime makes a city unattractive. I don't think it at all unreasonable to suggest to civilized people contemplating moving into Hartford that, although there may be 20-30 homicides in town each year, their chances of being victimized in that way are slim if they stay indoors late at night (and avoid a few neighborhoods at any time of day). Not unreasonable, and should not be offensive to victims who may be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're still victims even if they're out on Barbour Street engaging in illicit commerce at 2:00 a.m.

It's no good denying that living in Hartford entails risk. The risks have to be assessed, managed, and compared to benefits, if any. The fundamental problem(s) with Hartford are a function of the people, the residents, and the citizenry. We are above average in poverty, family dysfunction, and criminality. A mayor can't stop the violence, but he can adjust police policy in accord with facts on the ground. The leadership in Baltimore has adjusted in one direction. I'd prefer the Hartford adjust in the other direction. God Bless the guys/gals of the HPD.

Anonymous said...

From what I hear the Hartford Police chief has said it's only a few violent guys. That as long as the drug dealers are not violent leave them alone. That's what it pretty much translate into. If course he will deny it or say his words are bein twisted.