A community must confront problems

Gun violence is certainly a hot potato national issue of debate. But a release from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety this week brings the topic closer to home.

According to statistics compiled locally, there were 47 reports of gunshots fired in Sikeston during the first five months of this year.

That equates to a shooting incident or report about every three days.

The news is both chilling and sobering.

But that's not the story.

The story is that a small group of individuals - inside and outside of city government - is up in arms that the news was made public.

This band of brothers who want to play ostrich and hide the news from the public, are well-intentioned, I assume, but clearly wrong on this issue.

You address a problem by presenting facts and hoping that the community responds with appropriate indignation and concern.

The worst - the very worst - thing you can do is to try to hide the information and somehow pretend it ain't so.

Well, it is so and we deserve to know.

I am clearly baffled by those who believe the release of unpleasant news is inappropriate.

My goodness, we need a community dialogue on the issues of crime and housing and education and health care and so much more.

Through a community dialogue, you first alert the public to the problem. And then through our collective efforts, perhaps a solution can be found.

But the last thing you do is to hide the news in some vain attempt to make it go away.

Simply because you are sufficiently blessed to live in a neighborhood without gun violence or drugs, etc., what right does that give you to ignore the concerns of your neighbors in other sections of our community?

Let's say it here and let's be clear: We have witnessed a growing issue with gun shots at houses, cars and individuals. The gun violence is fairly isolated geographically.

But lives are in danger - innocent lives who are caught in the crosshairs of some truly bad violent guys.

We should all commend the Public Safety Department for their proactive approach to enlisting federal officials to assist in this effort.

The last thing we should do is condemn those who are trying to shine the light on a potentially serious problem.

Those who prefer to poke their heads in the sand and blame the messenger for the message are nothing short of an obstacle in the path of a concerned community.