To the Citizens of Paterson, New Jersey,
Welcome to Positive Possibilities in Paterson. This website's purpose is simple. I wish to broadcast only positive news taking place in Paterson. For far too long, Patersonians have been subjected to an unhealthy barrage of negative press clippings about this city. As a result of this, far, far too many positive stories have been swept under the headlines by news of shootings, poverty, and just all too often, only the failures of the community. I would imagine at this point in time, everyone within the city is well aware of all the bad that occurs. Today's entry will be the only time this blog ever mentions the negative headlines.
Now as an educator who wishes to transform this city in the most positive fashion, I sometimes feel as though the classroom constrains my ability to affect wider change across the city. This leaves me with a burning desire to make my mark outside the classroom as well. So I do.
I recently began researching the subject of 'community' in order to see what else I might be able to do. One of the first things that really stuck out to me was a common theme that we have to figure out a way to change the conversation that has left us in our current state. That negative, crime ridden conversation pollutes our papers, our daily conversations, and most obviously, the city culture itself. With this new website, I am here to begin changing that conversation by showing Patersonians the entire scope of positive possibilities that can be achieved by banding together as a true community.
I ask today, that everyone in the community join with me in making a commitment to ourselves, to our families, to our neighbors, and to our city. Let us make a commitment to take control of today and our future by ushering in a new era of positive possibilities in the city of Paterson. I ask you to join me because quite frankly, I do not have the ability to transform this city by myself. I wish I did but the reality is not a single person in this city can go and transform it with no help. We all must come to this realization. From this point on, we as Patersonians must come together and prosper. That is the only way. We must come together as a community. The only other choice is to suffer as individuals. In my humble opinion, that is not a viable option at all.
To begin this new present and future, I ask that any person with a positive story to share, to please share it with this website so that we can spread the word and inform everyone about all the good that really is possible in Paterson.
We will show the amazing possibilities of Paterson by showing people the proof that is in the proverbial pudding. Negative press will be thrown to the back pages while the headlines become overrun with positive stories. No longer will we allow selfishness and violence to grace our headlines. No. Those negative headlines no longer deserve our attention. Just as we would ignore a child acting up for attention, from this point forth, we are going to ignore those who wish to bring our city down with negativity. We are going to ignore those who tarnish our reputation. We are going to ignore those who take our brothers, sisters, cousins, and fathers away from us. Yes, they may still exist for the time being, we are not going to eradicate the tragedies in one fell swoop, but their days of negativity will soon be coming to an end. Together we will make it so.
Positivity is contagious and before long, our negative contributors throughout the city will begin to see the possibilities that they are holding all of us back from. They may round up their crews one day in preparation for a fight or conflict, only to find out that there are so few of them left that still see value in violence. At that point, they will be left with two choices, choose to keep fighting with themselves until every last one of them ends up in jail or dead? Or will they decide to join the rest of us in the community as we choose to live...
The photo at the top of this post was taken on Saturday, March 31st, 2012. (courtesy of the Paterson Cease-Fire Facebook page) Cease-Fire Paterson, with the help of other various community organizations, held a prayer march for peace to speak out against all the shootings that have taken place in the city. It was a great turn out. Despite poor weather, around 100 concerned citizens gathered together to show their fellow residents that the violence must end. It was a most promising sight to see the unity and desire for peace in action..
Not so promising, was the two shooting victims brought to St. Joseph's later that night. They fortunately had non-fatal wounds.
I recently attended a Cease-Fire meeting where someone mentioned what a shame it was that the only news reported on the Cease-Fire Facebook page was negative. That stuck with me after the meeting and it stuck with me that Saturday even more. On a day where citizens around the city gathered around with each other to promote peace, other selfish citizens chose to promote death. When reading a story about a peace march, who wants to read about someone being shot immediately after? How can that promote hope for a citizenry? How can we have faith in our optimism when reality smacks that very optimism right in the face?
The answer is we must not waste our energy on the negative story. Now, this must not be mistaken for ignoring the reality that negative stories exist, they still do. But we must recognize that those stories are done and cannot change now. We must instead focus on the very next story. The positive story. And the next positive story. And the next one, and so forth. And eventually we will be overrun by positive news while we continue kicking the negative news to the back pages.
Then maybe.. Just maybe... That news happening on those back pages... Actually will start disappear.
Wouldn't that be something? I honestly believe the citizens of this city can make that happen. You should too.
I know the majority of Paterson's residents seek a good life. I just know you all do. So let us see just how much power our majority actually has.
This is my mission and I hope you will all join me in it. I cannot do it without you. If you have a positive story you wish to report please send it to: patersonpositivepossibilities@gmail.com
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