Real problems need real solutions

Memphis, you suggest, needs a new narrative (Dec. 21 editorial). Hogwash! What Memphis needs is a new reality or, in the alternative, an old reality revitalized. Look at the record:

Over the past half-century, Memphis has traded one of the most prestigious public school systems in the South for an educational disaster.

Once a consistent winner of "city beautiful" awards, Memphis now is an aesthetic and environmental disaster.

Perhaps most important, a city in which Frayser and Whitehaven once were safe neighborhoods has become a dangerous place to live.

Rather than bemoaning the fact that the best and brightest Memphis residents are fleeing the city and taking their money with them, you should be building fires of public outrage under elected officials who have allowed the decay to reach epidemic proportions.

Violent crime has become pervasive, but public officials can't agree on how to recruit more police officers. Public schools have become as corrupt fiscally as they long have been educationally. The elected officials who have proved immoral, unethical or otherwise unworthy of public trust have become too many to tolerate.

Worst of all, no one among those in office or those who criticize seems to care. Each one demonstrates greater commitment to feathering his or her own nest -- economically, politically or both -- than to remedying the afflictions of those they have deprived of the ability to escape to Southaven, Nashville or Atlanta.

No narrative is going to correct these problems. The reality must be changed first, and the community's so-called leadership shows little interest in changing that reality. Today's least worst solution may well be the "burn it down and start over" approach advocated by those who suggest that Memphis give up its charter and let Shelby County govern.

E.W. Brody


First outrage, then action

Your Dec. 23 editorial "The outrage continues" regarding the shooting death of 11-year-old Kentaria Traylor should have been titled "Where is the outrage?" I have yet to hear or see actionable "outrage" from any of our Memphis elected or appointed officials, other than the usual sound bite of sympathy for the family of the victim.

No outrage has been expressed by the mayor while getting into the streets of crime-infested neighborhoods, building community support and participation in a step-by-step plan to reduce crime. No outrage has been expressed by members of the City Council doing the same thing. There has been no outrage from the chief of police enlisting the community to take proactive steps to fight crime and no outrage by the local news media, including this paper, on getting crime off the streets. The media tend to focus on sympathy articles -- nothing to spur action.

Until the Memphis elected officials and those hired to protect and serve the community are outraged enough to spur grass-roots action, until residents are outraged enough to take control of their neighborhoods, nothing will change.

Phil Mosley


Do what it takes to stop crime

Otis L. Sanford's Dec. 21 column on the use of undercover officers at Millington Central High School ("Cops posing as kids just does not seem right") shows that he does not, in fact, "get it." By making the statement that "there must be better ways to fight drug peddling at schools than to dupe teenagers, some of whom foolishly commit illegal acts just to fit in and be accepted," he doesn't get it at all.

These poor teenagers, as he would have you believe, are not just trying to fit in, and they know exactly what they are doing. As a police officer, it gives me no great pleasure to arrest a 13-year-old selling drugs at a Memphis middle school, a 10-year-old at an elementary school who assaulted his teacher and so many more, since it usually leads to more violence and further encounters with police as they get older. Every school sporting event seems to be plagued with violent thugs who are not "foolishly committing illegal acts," but deliberate acts of intimidation and physical violence that, apparently, the community at large has a tolerance for.

Millington Police Chief Rick Jewell should be commended for having a police officer who looks young enough to infiltrate a school and stop drugs from being sold to other children, not questioned about his methods.

R. J. Tutko


Prior to implementing stings to prevent drug sales in our schools, I suppose police should check with Otis L. Sanford to make sure he approves of their tactics. Do he and E. Winslow "Buddy" Chapman, executive director of Crimestoppers of Memphis and Shelby County, really believe that snitching from other students will get the same results?

Better yet, let's name January "Be Kind to Dealers in Schools Month." Sounds like they've been smoking some of what's being dealt.

James P. Downey


Stop corruption where it starts

Have I gotten confused? Isn't it a federal crime to offer a bribe to a public official?

Why is it that it's only the politicians who accept the bribes who suffer through trials and sentencing (Dec. 18 article, "Six months for ex-commissioner / Judge trims jail time, notes fraud was 'limited'), while those crooks who offered the bribes seem to go scot-free? Why aren't those who give the bribes brought to trial?

Those scoundrels who offer the bribes ought to be at least fined about 100 times the amount of the payoff, be sentenced to a stiff term in prison, have their passports taken away from them and have whatever business licenses they have revoked. That would stop others from following suit.

If we made it tougher on the briber than we do on the bribee, then this nonsense would come to a screeching halt.

Alan Babin


Blame the feds, Mr. Lee

Isn't Joseph Lee III confused as to who tried to put him in jail (Dec. 17 article, "Lee sues over unpaid legal bill / Council, city named in ex-MLGW chief's suit")? I don't think it was Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division or the city of Memphis, nor the City Council. It seems to me that it was the federal government. Shouldn't Lee be trying to sue them for his legal fees and not anyone else?

Ed Morgan


Peck's right -- just give us the facts

Regarding Chris Peck's Dec. 21 "Inside the Newsroom" column, "Cohen served up as instant bite": I have been yelling this same information (just not as eloquently as Peck) for months. This "snippet type" ( e.g., CNN and MSNBC) reporting of passing on undeveloped, unconfirmed, sniper-type information (we used to call it by its proper name, rumor) is being peddled as "major news reporting" by an ill-informed group of "reporters gone wild" who cause extensive collateral damage to careers, markets, reputations and processes, yet are never held accountable for their misinformed reporting. Instead, they ultimately may be rewarded with a Peabody Award because, out of the thousands of malicious, ill-conceived snippets they report, one is luckily found to contain some semblance of truth.

We don't need self-appointed "watchdogs" or an "on your side" friend. If you have to tell us you are "fair and balanced," we will ultimately determine you aren't. "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts" is what we are looking for. You can have your opinions, but back them up with facts, just like Peck did. It is refreshing to be told the truth.

Skip Miller


An editor's job is to get it right

Thanks to Chris Peck for explaining "the way news works these days." Thanks for blaming shoddy editorial and journalistic skills on your readership's lack of time or attention. His perspective shows me why so few Americans trust journalists, regardless of how liberal or conservative they are.

Headlines have always had to capture the attention of the reader. What has changed is the possibility for a local story to get immediately picked up as a national piece through the news wires.

Since a story about a congressman from Tennessee looking for his constituent's Christmas tree ornament isn't going to get nearly the attention nationally that a story about him being thrown out of the White House will, the story (or non-story) gets embellished in the headline. It's not about getting the attention of the reader; it's about catching the attention of an editor who can give national exposure and doing it as quickly as possible. The truth can get sorted out later, if anyone cares to bother.

Knowing you have only a few words or a short sound bite to capture the readers should inspire journalists to, above all, get the headline right. Writing engaging, truthful headlines requires a great deal of skill. It would be refreshing to see an emphasis placed on developing those skills, rather than blaming readers for their short attention spans. Keep it short, but get it right. That's an editor's job. If the story isn't correct, don't print it until it is.

Julie Sanderlin



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Comments » 6

OMG_GOP_WTF writes:

Why is it people who live in Germantown or other burbs think they know what's best for Memphis? If they're so darned smart, why don't they move back to Memphis and use some of their vast intelligence to help the city? I guess it's must more fun to stand outside the tent and throw rocks.

Pippin writes:

in response to OMG_GOP_WTF:


So I guess people who don't live in the city limits should, according to you, have no interest in what happens in the city limits-- even though many of those people who live in Germantown or other 'burbs may own businesses, work, or have other family members who DO, in fact, live in the city limits.

Your comment is pretty dang elitist too.

dwcoyote writes:

in response to OMG_GOP_WTF:


Because they are limited what they can do until the politicians at the top decide they want to do something. The answer is always more taxes and more spending, yet the problems keep getting worse. A step that may lead people to return is when Memphians stop electing idiot politicians and start putting responsible people in leadership positions. When are the citizens of Memphis going to start holding the leaders accountable? What does it say about the votes when Herenton keeps getting re-elected? Can you honestly tell me that Memphis is in a better position than it was before he started his reign? We are talking about voters who re-elected Ricky Peete after he served time in prison after violating public trust. Do you really think the honest, educated, hardworking taxpayers have a chance when the crooked, uneducated, lazy voters keep voting in the same politicians that have proven they are not able to do the job?

msu83 writes:

Some good letters. Good response except for happycamper. I have lived in OB for 30 years but I eat, play, spend all my money in Memphis and even have a place downtown. I love downtown Memphis. So I have an interest and as Memphis crime spreads to my home area, I have an even bigger interest.

L_4402 writes:

Just he because a person doesn't live in the city, the majority of their county taxes is spent there, schools, criminal courts, jail,etc.....

Lakeland_Pilot writes:

in response to OMG_GOP_WTF:


I dont live in Nashville...but I still vote for Governor because what happens in Nashville affects me too! It's narrow-minded thinking like this that continues to hold back Memphis.


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