Let’s Say it Again: Stockton—Some Place Special!
In the recent Mayoral video interviews offered by the Record, Stockton’s only mainstream newspaper, the first question posed to the six Mayoral candidates by the Record’s editorial board was, “What’s the biggest problem facing Stockton that the Mayor, together with the city council, can actually address?” From the six candidates, the only topic which received multiple recognition was, crime in the city of Stockton. One candidate refereed to living conditions in some areas of the city as, ‘bunker conditions, where citizens live behind locked doors and bars.’
Law enforcement efforts have not solved the crime experience and stigma that has stained our city for decades, yet not because of the efforts of those striving to serve our city.
Education efforts have not solved the crime experience and stigma that has stained our city for decades, however, this is not do to the efforts of the men and women who serve as teachers.
City development has not solved the crime experience and stigma that has stained our city for decades, and this is not because their offerings and products are of poor quality.
Our city suffers under a rabid experience of relativism, stemming from the breakdown of belief in truth—most profoundly manifest and witnessed in the breakdown of the family! With strong family involvement and support in the positive rearing of children, and support of adults—the efforts of law enforcement would be complimented, and produced greater results. With strong family involvement and support the education of our youth and adults would soar to new levels, as the worthy efforts of our teachers would be reinforced in the homes of those being served. With strong family involvement and support, the offerings through past, present, and future city development will be experienced and enjoyed by the majority, who will not be afraid to enter into these environments.
Although politics have the ability, and the responsibility, to address the many mechanisms which can positively impact the challenges we face as citizens of Stockton, the fuel which will allow any mechanism to function is not a product of the political arena—it is the essence of what must surround the dinner table each and every evening…a unified family, dedicated to loving one another with the authentic love of Christ.
With stronger families, and a return to focusing on the virtue of the family unit, we will participate in the re-strengthening and re-establishment of a positive culture, grown from the dinner table and spread through the neighborhood, then unto all the city! WIth this true and meaningful grassroots movement, we will address crime and all challenges that plague us in today’s society. Be assured, the challenges of this life will never cease, however, when we are united as families built upon the love of Christ, which is self-sacrificial love, we will be able to address them and overcome them.
Please, make it a priority to invest time and resources into the development of your family—in doing so, your affect will be felt and experienced by many! With such a movement, our topics of Mayoral debate will be transformed from expounding upon “the biggest problems” that face our city, to “the greatest opportunities” that face our city!
With our efforts as citizens of this town, with pride we will again utter the city theme of years past: Stockton—some place special!