There comes a time when people get fed up with the direction things
are going and doing something to change that direction. This community
has reached that point with the tragic killings of our children this
year.
The May 5 slaying of Raul Aguirre was a catalyst for change. There was
anger and sadness, but in the end there was a community ready to take
action. The community has been home to many meetings. Sadly, it has also
seen two more children killed and bodies left on a school campus.
On Saturday, some 400 community members united at Glendale Community
College for the Summit on Community Violence. Speakers told stories of
great programs that have worked. Others told of dismal failures that have
been made. There was a steady flow of ideas, all with the end purpose
being to make Glendale a better place.
Hundreds of hours of blood, sweat and tears went into organizing this
event. However, it was the easy part. The hardest part will be putting
some of the ideas and plans into action. It will also be some of the most
rewarding work done in this community.
Some of the work has already begun as groups like the Human Relations
Coalition attack bigotry. The police pay particular attention to hate
crimes and have reactivated the gang unit. Our schools are giving our
children more outlets to share their differences.
The troubles with gangs and ethnic tensions will not go away easily.
But the Peace Summit helped shine a light on a situation many would like
to ignore. Glendale has much to be proud of coming away from this
remarkable summit. With events such as this, the future can only get
brighter for our children.
