NotiPR :: That's All Folks! :: The Future The Way It Used To Be or REAL CHANGE?

10.29.04

The Future The Way It Used To Be or REAL CHANGE?

By Keith W. Tyras Romanello 2004: 10.22 11.5 11.12 11.19 11.26 12.3 12.10 12.17 12.24 12.31

2005: 1.7 1.14 1.21 1.28 2.4 2.11 2.18 2.25 3.4 3.11 3.18 3.25 4.1 4.8 4.15 4.22 4.29 5.6 5.13 5.20 5.27 6.3 6.10 6.17 6.24 7.1 7.8 7.15 7.22 7.29 8.5 8.12 8.19 8.26 9.2

Imagine if a man or woman weighing 625 pounds went on a diet in 2004 and was able to reduce their weight in one year by 45-50 pounds. Wouldn't they still have a VERY SERIOUS weight problem that would be life-threatening? Sure, their weight went down rather than up, which is good -- but because in 2004, just like in 2003, 2002 and 2001 -- in the middle of their diet, they had to switch their doctor for one reason or another and almost start over from the beginning and each doctor's diet strategy was seriously lacking, not addressing the root problem of the obesity -- which is very similar to the current crime wave in Puerto Rico.

It's actually the SAME crime wave that has been waving to all of us for decades. Sometimes it isn't easy to know whether we are being waved to by a hand with all five fingers or with just one finger -- the middle one.

When I read an article a few days ago in El Nuevo Día entitled "Optimista Cartagena en concluir 2004 con menos muertos" -- "Police Superintendent Cartegena Optimistic 2004 Will End With Fewer Murders", I couldn't help but think, ONE: How great it was that we still had the same police superintendent after 6 months -- which is something novel, TWO: That it's a lot better for the murder rate to go down rather than up, THREE: It's definitely good for someone to be optimistic and FINALLY: A small decrease in the murder rate may not actually tell the ENTIRE story.

To me, a lower number of murders means that of the number of people shot, stabbed, beaten by a "real man" in a kitchen or bedroom, etc., did not die as often as they did last year.

I'd be curious to know how many people ALMOST DIED, meaning how many people were either lucky or how many criminals may have been a bad shot and either missed entirely or hit someone in the leg instead of their chest or head as they may have aimed to do. Maybe someone was lucky enough to be shot near a hospital, able to be immediately treated while another lay on the ground alone for hours or days without any assistance.

THE REAL NUMBERS TO WATCH IN CONSIDERING THE FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENT, DEADLY CRIME A TRUE SUCCESS IS THE NUMBER OF ATTEMPTED AND SUCCESSFUL MURDERS.

Again, a lower murder rate is very positive -- BUT THE PROBLEM is SO FAR AWAY FROM BEING ADEQUATELY REDUCED where anyone can rest easy.

Having the dubious distinction of being the #2 murder capital of the United States is something that affects EVERYTHING ELSE in Puerto Rico.

The ROOT problem has YET to be addressed and NOTHING will ever get measurably better until at least one major politician has the GUTS to address it.

When an overwhelming majority of people have children they can afford, effectively raise and/or WANT, every major social problem will take care of itself. This is true for Puerto Rico, every U.S. State and every country in the world. Just think about it.

It's a problem and a strategy that will take a generation to fully fix. If in 1972, 1982, 1992 or 2002 a comprehensive strategy had actually been in place, there would have ALREADY been a better quality of living for every man, woman and child on the Island.

When was the last time you heard ANYONE in a position of great authority like a President or a Governor make a declaration like I mentioned over and over again until you could repeat what they said word for word regarding this subject? This is what is necessary.

Working to limit the number of children a woman or a couple have as being the correct number for them has NOTHING to do with promoting abortion or going against ANYONE'S religious beliefs -- but has everything to do with REDISTRIBUTING those children through adoption and teaching people from the time they are in kindergarten -- with age-appropriate lessons -- NOT to grow up and eventually have children they cannot afford, effectively raise and/or WANT, how expensive it is to raise a child and what happens to MANY children who grow up unwanted by either one or both parents -- AND HOW IT AFFECTS OUR SOCIETY IN THE MOST NEGATIVE WAYS.

The world will never get measurably better until this subject is addressed as the MAIN subject. Puerto Rico can easily LEAD the way. Let's see if it finally occurs during the next four years.

Remember, when something is broken over a period of decades, it is DEFINITELY BROKEN and will never get better with more of the same.

Well, that's all folks! Until next Friday.

Keith

For motivational speeches, conferences, media requests and other things such as eating disorders, you'll have to contact someone else. My only qualifications for writing a weekly column are based solely upon having a lot of free time, unlimited Internet access and very little else.