I grew up in Cleveland in the 1950s and 60s. Although there was crime in the city and there were bad people who did horrible things, I saw relatively little of it. My childhood was about as good as a childhood could get. But the times have changed.
The attached commentary is about my personal feelings about what good people can do to strengthen their neighborhoods and help their children grow up with good lives in peaceful situations. The commentary is prompted by the murder of a 14-year-old Cleveland girl, Alianna DeFreeze, who vanished while on her way to school. A few days later, her body was found in a vacant house in Cleveland.
A suspect has been arrested by Cleveland police. A South Euclid man, Christopher Whitaker, 44, has been arrested and charged with the murder of the girl. Whitaker is a convicted sex offender who was arrested based on DNA evidence.
Alianna's body was found in the 9400 block of Fuller Avenue.
My attached commentary is what I believe the community -- in fact, all communities -- must do. Everyone always wants more police protection, but there are things the people themselves can do to help create better neighborhoods.
Someone once asked the question of "who if not you and when if not now?" I ask the same question. View my television commentary.
