Positive Affirmation You Tube Video

["Self Esteem Quotes & Quotations"; as submitted to You Tube by 2headedguy; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lTTZQwQgAE]

City Council Meeting Tommorrow Night.... Questions and Thoughts on the Increase in Serious Crime Stats

Photo (by NS) from around Feb 2009

Has anyone read Oscar Lewis' article on the "Culture of Poverty" [1966]  / I still think that would be a really good idea...  Does anyone remember Senator Moynahan referring to Upstate New York as being like Appalacia?  What do you think he might add (if still alive) to that statement now?

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The City of Kingston Common Council Meeting is tomorrow night at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers.

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In browsing the replies posted on the "Kingston Freeman" online site, one does have to ask if the rise in some serious crimes [from 2008-2010, as noted in the post below] reflects a rise in incidents and/or a rise in arrests - or both? 

Another valid question is:  how many arrests represent one person - one crime - and how many arrests represent repeat offenders [associated - each - with  how many crimes?]

Also, how many of those arrested - 2008 - 2009 - were residents of the City of Kingston? 

If not City residents - where were they [State, City or Town only...] from?

How many of those arrested [an issue that comes up here and there] were illegal immigants? 

How many offenders were youth [to age 21]?

And how many offenders were adults [over age 21]?

Plus...

What areas of the City [numbers would be great!] ARE [based on stats] being hit the hardest? 

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Why are these crime rates up?

Do some folks really believe this is NOT associated with the general downturn in the economy, the lack of jobs, the increase in homelessness, etc?

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Is it possible that the neglect and/or abuse of our youth [as a City, County, State and Nation] plays a big part?  And if so, where do we stand in regard to prevention, education, awareness and early intervention [non-penal system] services?

Are parents doing their jobs?  CAN they even do so (single parent households, lack of quality childcare, etc) under the current [stressors, committments and demands coming full bore from multiple directions...] contitions?

When and where do bad policies [my opinion] fit in?  Such as suspending a child [out of school] for bad behavior?  [Isn't this more a "reward" for that child than a punishment?  Where does that child spend the day as a result...?]

And what about our insitutionalized youth and the abuse stats as noted in a video below?  Are we protecting our children - in our homes - in our institutions - on the streets - from predators?  Or are our children [at least some of them] waking up and/or walking out into a bomb-field / battlefield every single day?

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"Fight or Flight?  [Phsycholgical term associated with anxiety and phobic disorders]

Depression?  [What are the options for youth around here?  Are youth being overdiagnosed and overmedicated?]

Dreams?  [Who are today's heros?  Who do today's youths look up to and seek to emulate?  Characters from Video Games?  From the 100 plus, plus stations we have on TV?]

Are parents and youth overwhelmed with all of the new technology, as an article I just read suggests?

When all you have to give isn't ever enough [I feel this way a lot...] --- and one doesn't feel truly safe anywhere --- where does that leave one?????

Hiding in the house, like I do...

Or striking out - like some others [a lot of bitterness is bred within Lewis' "Culture of Poverty" scenerio - including an "us versus them" mentality...] apparently do?

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We need more detailed stats in regard to all of this.  We need answers to some or all of the questions posted above.

And we surely do need honesty and integrity and open-ness on the part of our elected and appointed City officials!

Truth, Love, Peace, Equality and Humane Justice,

NS

Online link to article: "'Crime rate jumps in Kingston - The Daily Freeman News Serving the Hudson Valley since 1871 (DailyFreeman.com)"; http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/01/10/news/doc4b4966c2715ca254425581.txt

I also have a copy of the article where Senator Moynahan [many years ago] suggested that parts of the State of New York suffer from conditions [generational poverty, high unemployment, unsafe housing, etc] similar to those in the Appalacian region - and I will locate this if anyone is interested.

Another interesting link is:  "Study Youth now have more mental health issues"; Road Runner; http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/9009/9995459/Study_Youth_now_have_more_mental_health_issues

And I would recommend viewing [lets not hide under any rocks...] the video that is posted down below...

Serious Crime Rates Increase - City of Kingston

Photo [by NS] taken in Feb 2009

According to an article in today's [1/10/2010; pp. A1 and A8] "Sunday Freeman" ["Kingston Crime Rate Jumps..."; Paul Kirby] --- based on a report from the City of Kingston Police Department, the following changes [picking out what appears to be most pertinent] have occurred - in regard to the rate of "serious crimes" in the City of Kingston - since [within a two-year time span...] 2008:

1.  The number of "burglaries" increased by over five percent.
2.  The number of "motor vehicle thefts" increased by over 36 percent.
3.  The number of "robberies" increased by nearly 44 percent.
4.  The number of "assaults" increased by nearly 60 percent.

[Bold emphasis mine]

So, although I would love to join the folks that are pumping out the positives about our City [which does have its merits...] --- you might have to wait until next year, or the year after, or the year after... for "that."

NS

Online link to article:  "'Crime rate jumps in Kingston - The Daily Freeman News Serving the Hudson Valley since 1871 (DailyFreeman.com)"; http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/01/10/news/doc4b4966c2715ca254425581.txt