Senseless...

Senseless.

That word is used a lot and by many people. But, in my opinion, there is no way for a person to know, to truly understand, the meaning of the word. That is, until they lose a loved one to a violent crime.

It was one year ago in October when I learned the meaning of the word senseless. That is when a small group of teenaged boys shot and killed my 29-year-old cousin in a robbery.

Jerry Eure, Jr. understands that word as well. His father, Jerry Sr., was taken from him about a month ago in a truly senseless crime.

Yesterday, the police announced the arrest of two 17-year-old boys in connection with the murder. The boys had done odd jobs for Jerry Sr.

What the hell is going on in the world? How can we, a nation so rich in so many ways, have done so wrong by our youth?

The truth is, there is no simple answer to America's growing problem of youth violence. We can not blame it on video games or music, they are merely scapegoats. The real problem is us, society as a whole. We have lost focus. We no longer value the family dynamic over all else.

So, the question then becomes, how do we fix it?

How do we give a single mother (or father), who is working two jobs just to keep up with the rent, the time and energy to sit down to a family meal every night. For that matter, how do we make sure they have enough food for a meal every night.

We have tried a welfare system, and it failed. We have tried a reformed welfare, and that too has failed. We are raising the minimum wage, but economists warn us that we are again dooming ourselves to failure.

I don't have the answers, but I pray that someone else, someone smarter than I, can come up with some.

I can only hope that the death of an icon, like Jerry Eure Sr., is enough to shine some light on the issue of teen violence, and spur those with the power to do something about it.

A little outside of Pennington...

Ok, so I have been reading up on this case of an alleged sexual assault by several NJ State Troopers on the Trentonian website.

You can read the latest on the story here.

But the gist of it is, seven off duty troopers went to the KatManDu night club and met a couple of young ladies.

Now, according to one of the trooper's lawyer, the men and the ladies left the club separately and met up again at the Ewing home of one of the troopers.

Now, according to the trooper's lawyer, five of the mostly married troopers had some form of sex with one of the women, consensually.

The woman, on the other hand, claims she was assaulted by the officers.

Now, my point here is this....

Do you think the officers, even if there was no assault, were still wrong?

Obviously, the adultery is wrong, but I am talking about something different.

For the most part, police officers, EMTs and firefighters are like living heroes to the young boys of this country. They are positive role models, who parents generally feel compelled to push their kids toward.

Now, I am not saying that consenting adults can not and should not do what they want behind closed doors. But, doesn't it seem a bit dumb in this case.

Maybe it is unfair of me, but I tend to hold police officers and other public servants to a higher moral standard than the average Joe. These men and women are supposed to be, in my eyes, examples to the rest of us.

My other point is this...

As a married state trooper, if you participate in this type of activity, it seems to me like you are just setting yourself up for a major incident.

I will not make judgement as to whether or not an assault occurred, because I do not have all the facts. But what I will say is this, to someone looking for a settlement or just looking to make waves, cops are targets.

Why, oh why, would you put yourself in this situation?

Can it really be the death of a small town....

I have been working in Pennington for about eight months now, and up until a week or so ago, it has been fairly uneventful in the way of "BAD" news.

Last week, it was two armed robberies in two days, today it is a bomb threat at the high school.

What the heck is going on?
What has changed?

I am not really sure. I guess it could be that the holidays are stressing people out and they are reaching their breaking point?

What ever it is, I hope, for the sake of the town's residents, that the trend comes to an end.

Some Holiday Cheer

Just a couple of homes here in Pennington

that are helping to spread the holiday cheer!

I do have a favorite house.

It is on Main Street near where the Penninton Post office is. I just have not been able to get a picture of it all lit up yet. But when I do, you will see why it is my favorite!!!

Holiday Spirit

I was born and raised just a stone's throw from the Philadelphia city limits, and for a good portion of my life I lived in the city. So, I am not really too familiar with the small town atmosphere of Pennington.
That being said...
Where I grew up there were a lot of cul-de-sacs, and every year all the neighbors for each cul-de-sac would get together and help decorate for the holidays. Some would get out of hand, to be sure. It would be as bright as daylight on those streets. But, most would be very nice.
I have a sister who is 12 years older than I am and she used to take me around the different neighborhoods in her car. It was amazing to see as a child.
Last year, I visited all those same streets to see the lights.
This year, I am hoping to do something different.
Since I spend a great deal of my time in Pennington I have come to enjoy the festiveness of the town. So, this year, I hope to get my fill of holiday lights here!
I will be taking pictures of my favorites, so check back often.

Coming soon

Stay tuned to www.buckslocalnews.com for this new blog about Pennington.