an open letter to kwanza hall (city councilman for the old fourth ward)

kwanza, or jay, or whoever gets these emails. 

last night my roommate was mugged by my apartment at 380 edgewood ave outside the exxon near that grassy area on edgewood ave. by three young dope boys. this is concerning for a few reasons.

1) it is so clear and obvious that the people who live next to me in the building are selling drugs. they stand outside all hours of the night, cars continually pull up, honk, and have someone come to lean in their window, i have been offered drugs by some of the younger guys who live there...

2) "Brenda's Palace" is a grocery store downstairs in the retail part our building, yet i have never seen anyone buying more then a candy bar. i do, however, see dope boys and hustlers crawling in and out of there all day. they are open at totally random hours and claim to accept WIC, which means they receive government assistance. 

3) similarly, a car wash open a block away is not ever washing any cars, yet stays open with one or two people hanging around the building.  

4) this is suppose to be a historic neighborhood, embodying the cultural and spiritual significance of Dr. King and his teachings. yet, there are no social centers, youth organizations, community programs, or even ambassadors aiding to assist overall safety and encourage growth in the area. 

edgewood ave is a joke. it is either a clear lack of concern due to a low number of relevant campaign donors, or a backdoor facilitation of this addicted street. either way, it is a disgrace. i am wondering what dr. king would think about his legacy in that neighborhood.

 it does not make sense to me that your office would not be aware of this condensed block of bullshit. i want to know why nothing has been done to break up the activity and why your office allows fake businesses to set up all over. when will you bring a store front that is actually useful to the community around? one block away from where the body of Dr. king lies is a shameful food desert saturated with a string of bars and dope boys. 

***included is a photgraph of the very same grassy area my roommate was mugged where not only do all the dope boys converge, they also use as a trash can***

bike vs car : let's play nice

in atlanta, the battle rages on. who's road is it anyhow? big enough
for all these cars, but used first by bicycles. The desire to simplify and save a few dollars by opting to ride a bike rather then drive through town is encouraging the rise of the riders. this is met with much frustration to the typical atlanta driver, who pains in the realization they should slow down and go around. there is hope,
however.  we could all just get along if we could find a little harmony. the actual infrastructure of atlanta roads make it difficult for sharing. Flow is interrupted, road rage flairs, people become upset and reckless. i have traveled highs and lows and only really in american cities do you see such malicious aggression between bike and cars. there is a cause for concern.
in addressing the issue as one between 'bikes' and 'cars' recognizes
the fight is actually just machine against machine. our neighbors have
become detached from each other and caution fades into impatience. i would like to believe that a person would not just walk up to someone one their bike and push them off of it. it is the personal buffer of the car that makes it easy for drivers to get aggressive and careless. as a bike rider, it is terrifying to have a car flying by inches from your side. if the idea is to prove a point, it's getting through more as a threat then determent. when the cars pull up behind a rider and creep behind them, it feels like a hungry crocodile is sneaking up to you licking it's chops. cars, after all, are considered a weapon when used in a violent act. when a driver gets too close, tries to scare off, or even run off the road someone who is just trying to get through this big 'ol city, i would assume it to be recognized as a very violent act. we are the people you know. friends, lovers, brothers, sisters, parents, and people who are apart of your community.empathy is a powerful educator and should be in the back of every
driver's mind.
when asked their opinions of bike riders, most drivers have a negative
tone. claims of riders being 'in the way' and that they ride
carelessly- running lights, weaving in traffic, etc. in the defense of
riders on both of these issues, drivers can get down right dangerous,
and if you have driven at all in atl, you have seen it too. the most
problematic, however, is this concept of bikers being 'in the way' of
the driver. so often you can hear drivers shouting to get out of their way or to get off the road. the idea that drivers are entitled to the entire road and should not be slowed or stopped for any reason is a clear cause of so
much aggression. the law in atlanta states bicycles are not allowed on
the sidewalk, but must ride on the road along with other vehicles, and
cars are required to give 3 feet of space. the level of pure driver rage seems to vary depending on the gender of the rider and most of the time the driver as well. according to my male bike rider friends, their encounters with pissed off drivers is more intense and happens more frequently. i have only been yelled at and physically endangered a handful of times, but i am afraid for the guys. 
 whether by car or bike, we all have a right to get where we need to go, in the transportation we chose, and trust the people in our community are not going to run us off the road.