When I posted Part I of this series, I received a response from a reader who took note of my criticism of the current Ward 7 councilman TJ Dow, writing that she wished him and I could just get along.
Believe me, I would have liked nothing better and I have made every effort to heal the breach, but alas, my efforts were for naught. He completely rebuffed my efforts at settling whatever issues he has with me, so now I’m left with no other option than to squash him like the annoying bug that he is.
Indeed, for Hough to come into its own, to finally fulfill its potential and become the stellar community we know it can be (due in part to its location midpoint between downtown and University Circle), we residents have to learn to come together and speak with one voice. And for that to happen we’ll need to have a strong community group that is open to — and respectful of — all residents. No more secret meetings and cabals.
Of course when residents of any community decide to come together, there are going to be varying opinions on virtually every issue that comes before the body; this is quite natural. That’s why it’s critical that the group adopts bylaws and rules of order that assures the greatest degree of consensus possible. Not everyone is going to agree on everything all the time, and in fact, getting a majority of folks to agree on any particular subject of import can at times prove difficult. Nonetheless such agreements have to be reached and it’s incumbent that everyone supports the opinion of the majority. That’s how democracies work. And those who can’t abide by the rules should be asked to leave the group.
This is pretty basic stuff I’m talking about here, but when a community has never been in control of its own destiny, initial implementation can prove challenging, especially when there are always individuals in every community that have hidden agendas, are power mad, or want to subvert the will of the majority for their own benefit.
Some will bully, use bombast, outright lies and manipulation to hang onto power; and most residents — mild-mannered souls they are — tend to walk away rather than engage those who’ll use any tactic at their disposal to control the debate. But those days are over. Every time one of these individuals attempts to gangster a meeting they’re going to be met head-on with overwhelming force. It really won’t take long before they get the message.
If we truly love our community then, we, the residents have to stand up for it against any and all that would try to run roughshod over the will of the majority. Stakeholders — be they homeowners, renters, and property or business owners — have to become engaged in the process; this is how communities take control of their own destiny, pick its own leaders and hold them strictly accountable for outcomes.
Hough is being presented with the opportunity to design, implement and control its own future and destiny. All it will take is for us to get up off the couch and get involved in the community meetings that will soon begin to take place. We owe this to ourselves and to the community we claim to love. More to come.
From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.com