Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign - a Little Long, but Worth the Read

As I travel from city to suburb, village to village, and block to block, I see many neighborhood watch signs posted in windows and on doors. These signs are to symbolize that those residing within the walls of the homes, apartments and "walls" of that community "have each others' backs" and will notify authorities in the event of a crime.

Where are these eyes when our children, friends, and family members are victims of crimes?

Day after day we hear of shootings and beatings. These aren't happening in back alleys or under covered bridges, they are not occurring in any unobtrusive way, they are happening right before our very eyes. Right before the eyes of the "neighborhood watch" signs.

I remember growing up in Englewood in the 60's and the 70's. An area that had its fair amount of gang activity and crime, but deaths only occurred when someone ill died, not because they were murdered.

We even had a severely mentally ill individual that was allowed to roam the streets, and still no one was killed - including him. There were the "politically connected" people that many wanted to kill, that lived to see another day.

The one thing I never saw were the Neighborhood Watch signs in windows. There were none.

We had block clubs and neighbors. Real people who "had each others' backs". Mothers and fathers who looked out windows to see that us kids got to and from school safely. Aunts and uncles who would often step out onto their porches to further watch us as we walked to and fro.

No signs.

These men and women would bring out belts, brooms, and any object they could find if a fight broke out and someone was threatened with serious bodily harm. They would also use them to beat our butts if they saw or heard us 'get out of line'.

Still no signs.

On any given summer evening, the streets would be filled with the sounds of children running and playing well past sundown. Hide-and-seek, hopscotch, jump rope and more were games we enjoyed beneath the street lamps while adults were watching form windows, porches, and balconies. Watching and protecting us from harm seen and unseen.

STILL NO SIGNS.

I remember as a young adult of about 18 or 19, the year was 1979 or 1980, when Chicago started trying to work with the neighborhood when crime had begun to rise. It was the early version of the C.A.P.S. program they have now.

Neighbors and police worked together and tried to stop crime before it got out of control.

The problem came that no one anticipated, yet, knew it was coming...urban flight. People leaving the city for the "safety of the suburbs".

Instead of standing our ground, we ran away. In running away, we abandoned our neighborhoods. We left them in the hands of the ones we were supposed to be stopping - the criminals. Now they have taken over.

I see the signs now.

The thugs, gangbangers, drug dealers, and pimps have control of the city streets. They are free to run up and down the very streets children once ran.

They run wile shooting AK-47's, Uzi's, and Tech-9's. They aim. They shoot.

They kill.

I see more signs.

I see the signs in the widows and on the doors. I see the signs at the beginning and the end of blocks. I see them in houses, apartments and stores. I see the signs. What I don't see are witnesses.

Yes, they call the police. Yes, they will report a crime has happened. They may even call while it's in progress. what they don't call are the names and descriptions of the perpetrators. Suddenly they all go blind.

No one sees anything. No one knows any facts. No one saw what happened. No one can identify anyone involved.

Neighborhood Blind.

The times have changed. People have changed.

It's time to take the signs out of the windows. No one is watching.

The nosy neighbor down the street has shut her blinds. The old gossip down the block doesn't know a thing.

Take the signs down now.

The criminals know nobody's looking out the bay windows and the door frames. They know they can do what they want because there is no one watching them on the blocks where the Neighborhood Watch signs live.

It amazes me...before the signs were made, we had less crime. But as soon as the signs went up - so did crime.

The criminals have done what the devil himself is supposed to do - "steal, kill and destroy". He's on his job. What about you?

They have stolen families, friends, and dreams. They destroyed neighborhoods, villages, and cities. They have killed men, women, boys, and girls. And it's time to stop.

People, let's stop watching, and start seeing. Then, let's go farther still and start saying what we see.

"Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs
Blockin' up the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign"