TEEN TOWN HALL MEETING

Last month I had the honor to serve as co-moderator along with Mr. Bob Ezell executive director of the Boys and Girls clulb for the Youth Town Hall meeting that was sponsored by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety that was held on the campus of Western Michigan Unicersity. The Youth Town Hall meeting was all about the KDPS attempt to reach and to give them an opportunity to ask questions and state their concern. Many of the youth present did just that especially many of them from the Hispanic Council, Fire and the Upward Bound program. The Town Hall meeting was a combined effort of the police department but much of the credit has to go to Captain Don Webster for  conceiving the idea and working hard to make it a reality. Was is perfect, no it was not. Will it solve all the problems that our youth are confronted with, no it will not. But it was a start. Anytime you can get open discussion with a room full of young people and the police with no parents present, it’s a start. The police department made the effort now more of us need to join in that effort. I know some of y’all who wasn’t even there probably have had some negative things to say about the event simpily based on what you heard, but guess what, shut up. Many of you were asked to be a part of this event, did you? Sure some of you did not know about it, but now that you know, are you gonna do anything to perhaps help stage another one? There is still much work to be done when it comes to our youth and the police and crime and violience, we know that. But the KDPS is making an effort, it may be a small effort but it is an effort. So instead of knocking theire effort and speaking negative about the event, why not contact Captin Webster  and find out what you can do to add to what they have already done. This Youth Town Hall meeting was not the cure all for our youth problems but it did give the youth a platform for experession and I have to believe that was a good thing. I also have to believe that some of the people who were there were listening.Its better than what a lot of people are doing.