What Memphis is Your Memphis?

I know that in the Memphis I call home, there is an abundance of character and charm. There is personality and possibility. There is promise and potenial. There is boundless life and inspiration. There is a city where challenges are not viewed as problems, but as opportunities. A city where, instead of focusing on the negative press that our schools have recently garnered, we focus on improvements. Use those incidents of violence, not as ammo against the city and its officials, but FOR the city, as a whole, to fight against the root causes of these issues.

In the city of Memphis I know, there is a friend on every corner and neighbor in every 'hood'. There is talent and ambition in our youth, not anger and resentment hiding under baggy clothes. There are real people with real concerns, not just numbers and statistics and percentages. Memphis is a city with a great wealth of diversity and multiculturalism. A place where ideas can be born without race, creed or religious affiliation. Where the beauty in diversity is the exchange of thoughts and ideas between people of different backgrounds which generates outcomes that would never be acheived without such diversity.

Unfortunately, my views on this city are not shared by a majority of the population. Many view the city based only on negative observations. These are people who want to complain about the bueracracy or the schools or the crime. They see no change in sight and feel there is no hope for the city. However, what they fail to recognize is that they, themselves, are the agent of change for which they are seeking. One positive attitude can dissuade 5 negative ones. Some of these people even moonlight as supporters of the city, but still hold an overall negative view. It is these people that are the most important to this city's rise to prominence; people who want to view the city favorably, but cannot bring themselves to invest their faith into a city that they are skeptical about. If there were only a way to harness their spirits and drag them over to the positive, progressive, change seeking side of things.

Typically, fenceline Memphians fall into one of three categories: those who feel they have done things for the city, yet the city has done nothing in return and have thus given up; those who cannot decide whether they are proud or embarrassed of Memphis; and those who live here but would rather admire the city from afar. Maybe one way to pursuade them to stop their sideline bench warming is to leave them with a quote that hits at the very heart of their personal conflicts with the positive direction of Memphis.

To those who feel they havent gott from the city what they have put into it I say, "Ask not what your [city] can do for you, but what you can do for your [city]".

For those who dred the embarassment of supporting the city while trying to disguise their pride I attest, "The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate".

And finally for those who claim to love Memphis, but would rather live elsewhere because the problems here are too destructive, I can only say, "In this Revolution, no plans have been written for retreat."

The revolution starts here, with you, with me, with all your fellow Memphians and Tennessians, and anyone else who has a stake in the revitalization of a great city. It starts with the courage and desire, faith and determination. Be proud! Be brave! Be that agent of change you look for in others! Everyone and everything makes a difference. Stand with me and make this movement a revolution!

More on the Pyramid Re-development

I cannot really put my finger on a single issue as to why I am in such staunch opposition to putting Bass Pro in the Pyramid, but trust me, there are plenty. First of all, it stinks of Porkbarelling, someone stands to profit if BassPro lands the deal, and it is not the citizens of Memphis. Second, the politicians with fingers in the Pyramid Pie are ignoring the voices of their respective consituencies and acting on their own rather than on the part of the people.
In nearly all the Commercial Appeal articles pertaining to the Bass Pro plan, I have seen nothing but negative comments(http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/feb/18/editorials-pyramid-reuse-requires-a-choice/) ( http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/feb/15/is-ericson-viable-county-city-split/ ). In fact, almost every single comment dating back to early January is in opposition. Why is it that city officials refuse to recognize what the PEOPLE want to do with THEIR building? Who is going to benefit from having an oversized baitshop in Memphis' most recognizable landmark? Bill Dance? West Memphis, AR? The Pyramid belongs to the people of Memphis, Tennessee; not to Robert Lip-scum and Tom Marshall, so why does it seem that we have no voice in this argument? Maybe if there is a huge ground-swell of support by Memphians in favor of the Bass Pro deal, it will sway city officals to support the Ericson plan. Why is this city so loathe to listen to its citizens? Remember Memphis, the Pyramid belongs to you, but unless you speak up and voice your opinion, Lip-scum and Marshall will voice it for you.

Re: City Officals

As a concerned citizen of the the great city of Memphis, I would like to express my sincere trepidation with the city entering into a deal with Bass Pro Shops. When compared side by side it seems the Pyramid Harbor deal should be Plan A while the Bass Pro deal should be the alternative. If you have the time, please take a look at these two links:


http://www.pyramidharbor.com/

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?appID=34&CMID=&langId=-1&template=news_display.cfm&pageView=image&catalogId=10001&newsID=149&partNumber=&storeId=10151&deptId=000000000&categoryId=000000000&jumpToPage=1&currentPage=0&subdeptId=000000000

The first site is dedicated to the Pyramid Harbor deal and details every aspect of the plan. The site also shows renderings, financial information and list partnering agencies. The second site is a link to the most recent mention Bass Pro has made in regard to its plans for the Pyramid. This is a press release nearly 2 years old.
The critics say the Pyramid Harbor plan lacks organization and viable financing options. However, if you look at www.ericsongroup.com you will see a list of partners that include Prosperity International (http://www.prosperity-international.com/projects/). Prosperity International's web site lists numerous projects both completed and in progress that are comparable in both cost and project size to that of the proposed Pyramid Harbor plan. Bass Pro has no public information regarding the deal and has given the taxpayers of Memphis and Shelby County no reason to believe there is any committment to the city.

Please take into account your respective constituencies when making decisions regarding the future of this city. If there are advantages to the Bass Pro deal that I am not aware of then, by all means, let me know. However, as it stands, it seems a no-brainer to show Bass Pro the door and open the floor for better offers, including that of the Pyramid Harbor Plan.



Here is a list of email addresses where you can voice your concerns to your respective city officals:


Mayor@MemphisTN.gov;ACWharton@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;Robert.Lipscomb@MemphisTN.gov;Bill.Morrison@MemphisTN.gov;William.Boyd@MemphisTN.gov;Harold.Collins@MemphisTN.gov;Wanda.Halbert@MemphisTN.gov;Jim.Strickland@MemphisTN.gov;Edmund.Fordjr@MemphisTN.gov;Swearengen.Ware@MemphisTN.gov;Janis.Fullilove@MemphisTN.gov;Myron.Lowery@MemphisTN.gov;Scott.Mccormick@MemphisTN.gov;Shea.Flinn@MemphisTN.gov;Reid.Hedgepeth@MemphisTN.gov;Mike.Carpenter@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;George.Flinn@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;Mike.Ritz@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;Henri.Brooks@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;JW.Gibson@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;Deidre.Malone@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;Sidney.Chism@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;Joe.Ford@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;James.Harvey@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;Joyce.Avery@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;Wyatt.Bunker@ShelbyCountyTN.gov;DLillard@BPJLaw.com;Steve.Mulroy@ShelbyCountyTN.gov

Memphis Vs Columbine

Some of you may be aware that the Memphis City School System suffered its 2nd school shooting in a little over a week, leading many to speculate on the current state of societal values, morality, and parenting as the root of these issues. While these problems are valid in their own respect, they are merely accomplices’ after-the-fact in regard to their relation to the crime happening in our schools. What can be learned from these terrible events?

By comparing the nature of the crime we can get a better sense of what may have led these children to act out in such a violent manner. The shootings in Memphis differ from those across the country in a few distinct ways. Take for example, the Columbine shootings. These were a group of kids acting out of revenge and contempt toward society as a whole. They went on a wild rampage, shooting basically anything in sight. When it was coming to an end, rather than facing justice and dealing with the families of the victims, they committed suicide. They were well aware of what they had done and how it would affect those involved. They killed themselves because they knew how wrong and heinous their actions were and the very thought of owning up to those actions was more than they could bear.

When you compare the events in Columbine to those in Memphis, you get a much different picture. A boy walks up to a fellow schoolmate, pulls a gun from his waist and puts three bullets into his neck and chest. Then calmly walks to the teacher and hands him the gun. Standing over his victim, he remarks, "It’s over now". As if to imply they were playing a game of tag in the school-yard. Ha-ha, you're it, no take-backs. Only this game of tag is played for blood and the loser pays with his life. In comparison to the Columbine perpetrators, this kid did not flee, fret or panic as a result of his actions. He was like cold steel. "Here's my gun teach, take me to jail or whatever." Not exactly the response you would expect from a young man who had just attempted to murder a classmate.

Local media outlets are full of pundits, parents and know-it-alls ready to give their $0.02 about how society has failed the kids or government has failed the kids or the teachers aren’t doing their job or parents aren’t disciplining their kids enough, etc....And while all these gripes may have their place on some branch of the tree, none of them adequately assess the problem at the root. All of the previously mentioned problems are merely accessories after-the-fact.

What causes these kids to place so little value on human life? What causes them to shoot each other over minor disagreements? Well, I can tell you this, it starts at home and it is not usually taught or learned. It must be given and it must be received. What these kids lack is love and compassion, someone to care about them and someone for them to care about. How else do you explain a kid having no regard for his victim or his family? Or for his own family for that matter? Because he is not capable of understanding what it feels like to lose a loved one, or be the one loved who is lost?

All these talking-heads spew out the same redundant banter about what you can do to save these wayward kids. They tell you to go to PTO meetings, vote for better legislators, practice more discipline at home, fund better schools, etc....If you really want to help at-risk youth, buy a random kid some ice-cream after school, offer them a ride home, give the kids at the park a new basketball. Give these kids a reason to believe that someone out there cares about them. And then, maybe, they will start to care about other people. Love is a powerful thing and I think a lot of people would be surprised by how much it can quell the violent nature of the youths in this city.

Love beats the Demon

-Spread the Love to Defend Memphis