Finding Our Voice
By Abel Cruz
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
— Martin Luther King Jr.
I don’t know the context from which this quote comes, but I can imagine Dr. King saying it in an effort to inspire people of the Civil Rights movement era to take some kind of action or stance during the struggles of the 1960’s.
I’ll be the first to admit that keeping quiet about things that happen around you is the easiest thing to do; especially when making your voice heard would be unpopular.
But sometimes, remaining silent about one thing starts you on the path to losing your voice completely. That seems to me to be the greater danger.
For instance, a couple of events that have taken place in this city over the past few weeks illustrate this point.
When some residents from the Tech Terrace community were fed up with loud parties, and people trying to “water their lawns” late at night, they got together and decided to make some noise of their own. One person wrote a letter to Councilman Gary Boren and presto, before you know it, television coverage shows a meeting being held for the residents with every single council person along with the mayor present; along with the chief of police and other city staff.
In this case, one voice made itself heard and got some action. I suspect that it was also because this is an area of town that traditionally votes, contributes to political campaigns, and has what a lot of other groups don’t have; a political voice.
On the other hand, what happens when another group of residents who have generally not had a political voice, and who traditionally remain silent have a problem?
According to local news reports, at the corner of Parkway Drive and Guava in East Lubbock, there is a pit that is being used as a dumping ground. The dump is right next to a residential area and is just a short distance from a local public school. The dump is full of trash and probably material that has become contaminated over the years. According to news reports, residents have been complaining for over 20 years about this situation.
Twenty years!
And what do we see on the evening news, Councilman Floyd Price on the phone trying to find out who owns that particular property. I applaud Mr. Price’s efforts, but where are the city personnel that are responsible for these illegal sites? Where is the concern from the rest of the city council and the mayor over this situation? What has been done, if anything, over the past 20 years to correct this situation? Let me answer that: absolutely nothing!
And that is precisely what you get when your silence has been louder than your political voice...absolutely nothing!
(c)acruz2004 Email: acruztsc@aol.com