"Virtual Backlash" - Saying Things That Should Not Be Said

On March 26, 2009 Demonje Rosser was shot in Clairton about a block away from where my mother lives. The next morning, there were many references to the tragedy on Facebook -- things along the line of "R.I.P. Demonje" and general feelings of shock and disdain. I did not feel compelled to post something myself; mainly because I did not know this man personally despite the fact that he was 2 years younger than me and we attended the same [small] school. I did however comment on some of the other wall postings...and that is when all hell broke loose.

Because of the format of Facebook and my respect for the privacy of others, I can't really post verbatim what occurred. And I will also say that I have a knack for having the things I write online be misinterpreted towards the worst case scenario. I fully realize this, but I don't see why my rights to voice my opinion and feelings should be censored simply because people lack reading comprehension skills (and this is not some cheap insult -- reading comprehension is actually a more difficult skill than people give it credit for).

So what did I say that caused such an uproar? I said that the citizens of Clairton (myself included) need to stop buying into the image that we reside in a wild uncontrollable ghetto (like something out of City of God or the like) and/or that being an economically depressed city warrants (or should be accepted as an acceptable cause) excessive, mindless acts of violence. I said this in the vain of believing that those who willingly own the victim role have little hope of bettering their position and raising themselves out of dysfunction. My comments resulted in a public criticism of my personality ("elitist", "self-righteous" and "rude" were among some of them) and some private messages which said that I should basically be cussed out for saying such things. Interesting...to say the least.

What I did not say (and I knew to leave it alone because it would surely cause me to suffer some real virtual harassment) is that I do not attend these vigils and neighborhood prayer events either. I would rather not hear the same old tune and see these preachers and politicians patronize the citizens of Clairton about how bad our city is. While Clairton is a far cry from Mayberry, it pales in comparison to some of the real ghettos in this country. On top of that...talk is cheap. The truth of the matter is these people sit and get paid and drive 3-year old cars and make these annual speeches. In the meantime, what are you actually doing to change this city? Have you solicited any organizations or companies to set foothold here? Have you created any new programs to keep our youth out of trouble? Have you formed relationships with the more economically strong neighboring communities of Jefferson Hills, Elizabeth, or West Mifflin? Are you contributing to the image of Clairton at all as a viable community to live in to outsiders? If the answers to these questions is even a slight "no", then you have already accepted the "Clairton just sucks" mantle and the reality becomes a reflection of the attitudes.

Now, back to the hositility I encountered on Facebook; it reminds me of how emotions rule over logic when you feel like the situation is out of control, hopeless, or if you know deep down that your view is a distorted one. This is not about having reverence for the dead -- but rather accepting the current status quo and not wanting to move beyond this. In my opinion (which I am finding out more and more, upsets people highly) is that this is a great disservice to the dead because their life was taken early, and for what? Are the people on Park Ave. and elsewhere in Clairton going to stop tolerating riff-raff standing on the corner all hours of the night and speak out against those who vandalize the city's public property? Demonje's shooter and any other future criminals will not be deterred by R.I.P. messages on Facebook -- but they will be by well-lit areas where thriving business and a mindful community mentality. True, Facebook is a personal tool and you have the absolute right to express your feelings however you want. But it seems quite deluded to me if you accept that Facebook sentiments are warranted during a time of community tragedy but criticism and discussion of the situation that caused the tragedy is not.

I have not given up on Clairton; but my hope is surely not in the city's current residents. Clairton's future relys on those who are very young and more so on those who will move into the city at a future time. These new individuals will not be tainted with the poisoned viewpoint that exists in the psyche of the old-time residents. The city may have to almost completely empty out before that happens; raze entire sections and start anew with brand new construction and developments (filled with new people). People who are off of the gerbil-wheel and can start some new trends in this poor mill city on the Mon.