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Help
Us Stop the Bloodshed
Albany
Gun Violence Task Force hears from the community at its first
public hearing
‘He
was raised in the church, the pastor knew his name, father
at home, supposedly all the right ingredients for the perfect
child,” said Albany County Legislator Wanda Willingham (District
3), who addressed the first public hearing of the Albany Gun
Violence Task Force at the Philip Livingston Magnet Academy
in Albany about how she lost her son to gun violence. “But,
somewhere along the way, when the drugs hit Albany, it was
hell.”
Willingham recalled realizing that if her son was involved
in gun violence there would be a gun in her house. She found
one hidden behind a wall panel in her own home. Willingham
lost her son 16 years ago, but that wasn’t the legislator’s
only run-in with death caused by firearms on the streets of
Albany.
Later she witnessed an argument between two young men, an
argument she said seemed to be resolved before a friend of
one of the men involved in the argument handed him a gun.
Five shots later and one of the young men lay dead in the
street.
Willingham warned the speakers who had come before her, who
focused on the responsibility of the parents and family in
preventing gun violence, that “it can happen to me, it can
happen to you.”
Willingham insisted that even children in a seemingly perfect
family can find themselves involved in the peer pressure that
gets them involved in guns.
Beverly Padgett said that to deal with issues of gun violence,
more opportunities need to be made available for the whole
community. “When have you ever, ever seen a city with less
than 100,000 people with three ghettos?,” she asked. “Come
on. We’ve got three ghettos!”
Doreathea Brace told the crowd that firearms are far too accessible
in the city of Albany. “I can walk right out of here and buy
a gun right now!” she declared.
Willingham told the crowd that she had surveyed a class at
Albany High School, and 75 percent of them knew someone who
had been shot, while 90 percent were acquainted with someone
who owned a gun.
Some speakers spoke in favor of gun rights. Others made it
clear that while it might seem like there is a lack of services
for children in the city, there are in fact a great number
of programs, but that they are being marginalized by a lack
of proper support and funding from Albany’s politicians. A
number of community members complimented the job done by Chief
James Tuffey and said they were happy to see increased police
presence in their communities.
While the meeting was attended by interested politicians and
community activists, including Albany Common Council members
and Albany congressional hopefuls, regular members of the
community were few and far between.
Sharon Malloy said that she would not have known to come to
the meeting if she had not heard a news report earlier in
the day. She hoped the task force might distribute fliers
in the community before the next meeting.
Despite the low turnout, Albany Common Councilman Dominick
Calsolaro (Ward 1) was encouraged. Calsolaro can still remember
when the task force was just a pipe dream of his, when he
and a number of concerned citizens held makeshift, unofficial
meetings at a Dunkin Donuts on Madison Avenue in Albany. Calsolaro
had to fight for years for the task force before Albany Mayor
Jerry Jennings agreed to go along with the legislation.
Calsolaro said he hopes that one of the more influential members
of the task force might be able to secure funding to ensure
that next time there is proper advertising.
Albany District Attorney David Soares, a task force member,
said he felt that the task force has been given a chance to
hear from a diverse number of voices, and he thinks things
are headed in the right direction. “I think ultimately the
recommendations that are going to be made are going to incorporate
a lot of the different presentations we’ve now been privy
to.”
However, Soares had a caveat about what may ob struct true
success. “I think that ultimately our success will be judged
by the willingness of the people we make our recommendations
to to listen to and abide by the recommendations.”
—David
King
dking@metroland.net
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| What
a Week |
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Public
Affairs
After
admitting that he and his wife both carried on
affairs during a rough patch in their marriage,
new Gov. David Paterson has been the focus of
media inquiries into his use of public funds regarding
his affair. Paterson traveled with an ex-lover
to a conference in Puerto Rico at the expense
of the state. Paterson’s aides said the trip was
justified. The pair also traveled together to
campaign for Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in
Iowa and South Carolina, but did not use state
funds. Meanwhile, talk around the Capitol is brewing
that Paterson is going to face further scandal.
Fred Dicker has reported that state legislators
are researching who would succeed Paterson should
he have to step down or if he is impeached.
A
Scandal Too Late
Albany
County District Attorney David Soares has asked
permission from Gov. Paterson to allow him to
publicly release his findings in his office’s
investigation into former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s
involvement in “troopergate.” Paterson has referred
the request to the attorney general’s office to
find out if he can legally waive Spitzer’s executive
privilege. “The people have put their trust in
your office, and transparency is the most honorable
way of reciprocating that trust,” Soares said
in a letter to Paterson.
Under
Fire
“I’m
human, which, you know, for some people is a revelation,”
said Sen. Clinton this week after it was revealed
that her recent description of a 1996 trip to
Bosnia was exaggerated. Clinton, who regularly
touts herself as the more seasoned Democratic
candidate in the realm of foreign affairs, described
dodging sniper fire while arriving in Bosnia.
Since she told this story, a number of people
(including the comedian Sinbad) who were present
have refuted her version of events. And a video
of her landing shows her not dodging sniper fire,
but being greeted by, and embracing, an 8-year-old
girl.
Party
Loyalty?
According
to a Gallup poll, 28 percent of Clinton supporters
would vote for Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) if
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il) wins his party’s nomination.
Nineteen percent of Obama supporters said they
would vote for McCain if Clinton is the nominee.
|
|
|
 Five
Years
With
4,000 American troops dead and the United States no nearer
to a withdrawal than the day it entered the Iraq war, protesters
from around the state gathered in downtown Albany near the
Capitol to demonstrate on the fifth anniversary of the start
of the conflict. Despite a cold rain, protesters held signs
and testified to the devastation and senselessness of the
war. Albany County Legislator Doug Bullock (District 8) led
a chant of, “U.S. out of Iraq, bring the troops back.”
| Loose
Ends |
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-no
loose ends this week-
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