Letter to the Editor

Children in community need more attention

Thursday, February 23, 2012

To the editor:

I'm writing you with hope to draw attention to a very serious problem here in Blytheville, which is our children. It seems that as the grown-up population of the city, we have so many problems in our lives. We haven't listened or given enough attention to the very things that make up our city, which is our children. I have visited the school quite frequently to just hear what the kids have to say. Just to simply listen, something we grown-ups sometimes fail to do. I was shocked and saddened to hear what the kids think about, amazed at the things some of them have endured and overcome and sad to hear the hopelessness they feel for their future. They seem to think that their lives here in Blytheville are dictated to them by the constant demise of the job market here and the growth of drug-selling and use that plagues our streets everyday.

I spoke to one young man who told me that if he doesn't leave after graduation, the only option he sees is to sell drugs or he may end up using drugs like family members before him. I felt ashamed, and it hurt my heart to hear him speak so candid and openly about the way he sees his life. I heard other truly sad accounts of the majority of the kids thinking about suicide. They think about crime and seem to think there's no punishment. There were sad accounts of abuse and no hope for their futures.

Now I must apologize to the mayor because I, myself, placed all of the blame for the city's problems on him. I blamed him for no jobs, the streets, the drug problems, problems kids were having, school problems, etc. But we need to wake up and understand that the mayor is just a man who holds the position that came with problems of gigantic proportions. It will take all of us to fill this black hole we seem to be in. We as a community should extend our arms and hands to help fill in where he sometimes can't be and pray that the politicians that say they have our best interest at heart do their jobs. By going to the city tax audit and the City Council meeting, I realized that it will take people in this community to come together and to help build up our most precious commodities, our children. That sometimes gets lost in a political and financial world.

Let the mayor and other state politicians work out the debts we have acquired. Let us help by showing other cities that our community can be the village that raises more than one good child. Let's help by raising the standards of young girls and encourage them to further educate their minds, by giving them hope to become whatever they want to be. Let's show other cities that we encourage and support our children in their education, their dreams, being lawyers, judges, models, senators, etc. We will do these things with no cultural boundaries. Our city embraces all cultural differences.

My name is Ms. Bell. Do I have problems? Yes. But my heart is greater, my love and hope are bigger than any manmade problem. God has blessed me to overcome. I was inspired to write this letter not only because of the sadness I felt after visiting the schools, but I met two young men on their way to work, neither any more than 22 years old. They were laughing at the fact that neither of them wanted to go, but stated that this was the only way they knew what to do for survival. I applaud Mr. S. King and A. Jackson, for they, to me, are the epitome of determination. They showed me that it takes work to do anything.

Now I do have a youth program, but that's not what this is about. I truly believe that we as citizens of Blytheville need to wake up. We need to stop placing blame. Let's do our parts. Let's start by giving our most valuable commodity our attention. They are hurting and we need to step in and find out why and see what we can do to help.

I am not afraid to work for my future, or any child's future. I know they are worth it. So join me. I'll take any advice, comments or suggestions at patriciabell92@yahoo.com.

Patty Bell
Blytheville