Coming tomorrow: L.A. Parker on Trenton murders
Coming in tomorrow's Trentonian, columnist L.A. Parker writes about Trenton's murder rate and how we lose track of the lives and people behind the numbers.
Here's a sneak preview:
"What we also know now is that people living in South Trenton with agendas — whether they are political or parochial — will kick, yell and march when an officer is taken away from his post but when in this case a young African American woman is removed from this world, they remain silent.
"Desiree E. Napper-Jones deserved a better man than the one she got and her life and death should receive more attention than their current reception.
"Unfortunately, in Trenton, like so many other urban areas, the lives of black gangsters or dark-colored girlfriends are reduced to numerical identification.
"Napper-Jones garnered a murder No. 15 tag while alleged gang member Arnold Poole is No. 16, etc.
"Jose-Duran Almonte, 28, of Reading, Pa., shot and killed during an incident in a Centre Street bar, is No. 17.
"Whether you care or don’t, these people were once real life human beings."
Here's a sneak preview:
"What we also know now is that people living in South Trenton with agendas — whether they are political or parochial — will kick, yell and march when an officer is taken away from his post but when in this case a young African American woman is removed from this world, they remain silent.
"Desiree E. Napper-Jones deserved a better man than the one she got and her life and death should receive more attention than their current reception.
"Unfortunately, in Trenton, like so many other urban areas, the lives of black gangsters or dark-colored girlfriends are reduced to numerical identification.
"Napper-Jones garnered a murder No. 15 tag while alleged gang member Arnold Poole is No. 16, etc.
"Jose-Duran Almonte, 28, of Reading, Pa., shot and killed during an incident in a Centre Street bar, is No. 17.
"Whether you care or don’t, these people were once real life human beings."
Labels: L.A. Parker, Murders
posted by Trentonian Editor at
9:58 AM
3 Comments:
In unfavorably comparing the community outcry against the Det. Reyes transfer and the stabbing death of Desiree Napper-Jones that has elicited no such public outcry, Mr. Parker conveniently ignores a couple of facts:
1) The murder victim chose to be in an abusive relationship that lead to her unfortunate and untimely death. This was a situation of her own making that she seemed unwilling or incapable of extricating herself from. Even the alleged murderer's mother was in the next room and didn't come to the victim's aid because she thought she was hearing screams of passion.
Ms. Napper-Jones own family and friends didn't stand up for her.
2) Det. Reyes was transferred unceremoniously, while on vacation, and with no communication to the members of the public that he had been working with. This was not a situation of the Detective's own creation and it was as much an insult to him as it was to the community he worked with.
Is it anyone wonder people voiced their complaints?
Mr. Parker has a penchant for polarizing stories along racial lines and likes to take jabs at anyone who might disagree with his position. He's entitled to his opinion but he should stop being so divisive.
As previously stated regarding articles written by L.A. Parker, in my opinion he often takes a kaleidoscope approach. However on this issue I wholeheartedly agree. A human life is precious, every human life. To elaborate on Ms. Jones relationship with her attacker is a mute point. Desiree felt in her mind she had a relationship. The outcome was inconceivable, yet it did happen. Most of us, more times than not feel we are involved in a genuinely loving relationship with a person who supposedly has or shows affection for us. As so many of us do, Desiree was guilty of misplacing as well as receiving affection, however, that does not in anyway, dismiss the validity of her life. Don't equate her mistake with her worth as a human being. In Parker's synopsis of the situation, she should have received more public outcry regarding this senseless tragedy, as opposed to an outcry about a transferred police officer. Lets not lose our sense of humanity and further confuse it with pride and association. True Mr. Reyes did a wonderful job. The community commends his passion for his job and the respect he elicited toward the police department in general. Yet, he has the easy part, he's continues alive. He can move on with his life, Desiree cannot. Sorry to say, I agree with L.A., right or wrong, family support or not, Desiree was life lived, she lived it her way, through her choices. Someone she placed her trust in took her life. Desiree's life should bring about a hugh outcry for many reasons, which could possibly threaten another person existance. My understnding of the story is that her attacker, had a anger management problem, and was being treated. However, his prognosis turned violent. We should have an outcry regarding any and all agencies responsible for teaching and manageing persons with anger management diagnosis. We should know what techniques are used in an attempt to quell a potentially deadly situation. Such as, are their medications used, physical monitoring techniques, etc. In other words, our outcry should be at the agencies responsible for diagnosing, treating and and reporting the patients progress to authorities as well as the persons potential to bring harm to the community at large. Desiree's life was worth that much.
Where's L.A.'s apology for criminalizing the black community in Newark? Immediately after the 3 college kids were executed he raged on about 'black-on-black' violence. Well, call me cynical, but it tunrs out that it was Hispanic-on-b;ack violence... And what does the Trentonian do? Nothing. No discipline, no anger, no outrage. This piece of rascist crap keep on writing because this rag is too scared to fire him.
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