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[Marlin Democrat] Column -- A city lost
Jun. 29th, 2005 10:42 amA city lost
Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe
The Marlin Democrat
June 29, 2005
Last Monday evening as I lay sprawled out on my bed half-asleep, I was jarred awake by news of "a murder-suicide in Marlin." My first thought following the kneejerk reaction of "Huh?" was "What more can this town take?"
There is a definite feeling of uneasiness about the town that seems to be growing stronger every day.
I remember when I came to town last year, the biggest concerns I heard about were people standing outside of HEB, continual water problems, and complaints of the condition of streets.
Today, though, concerns of lost jobs, drugs, gangs and now the events of last Monday have added fuel to an already burning fire. Fingers are being pointed and city unity is falling apart. Everything is someone else's fault, and Marlin problems are unique to the city.
Marlin's problems are not unique. They are a version of the same things that happen in other small towns and in big cities. Every day there are people killed, another person turns to drugs, a violent act occurs leaving a victim who's life is changed forever, and everyone around these people are left asking, "Why?"
I don't know why. Why do bad things happen? Can someone truly give a foolproof answer to that question? I doubt it, and asking it just leaves a feeling of further distress.
A more productive question is "What can I do about it?" It is easy to point fingers and say what should be done. What's hard is getting out there and doing it.
Somewhere out there a baby is being born to parents who have high hopes and dreams for this new life. Somewhere out there is someone earning an honor due to their hard work. Somewhere out there a fresh faced graduate is starting to embark on the next chapter of their life. Somewhere out there a couple is getting engaged, a child is being given a new puppy, someone is buying a new house, and someone is just treating themselves to a fresh cup of coffee.
There are so many good things in this world to hold tight to, and yet the ease of slipping into the unrest of so many problems is prevalent. We lose sight of the good as we slip into despair. We find ourselves lost.
Marlin is full of a lot of unrest right now following events that have left the city in the news. There are even things that never made the news that have left sections of town wounded.
Lost within the events of late are things like the new library, the fact that Falls Community Hospital has repeatedly gotten praise from out-of-towners for good service, new business ventures looking to come into town, and some things as simple as the fact that people do wave when you pass them on the street.
Let the families of Bo and Wendi grieve for their lost loved ones, and then ask what can be done to stop something similar from happening again to someone else. Understand that cuts are having to be made to the city personnel, and ask what can be done to stop other cuts from being made. Be aware that there is criminal activity within the city and look for ways to curb it, even if its just supporting the police and sheriff's departments. Cling tight to events like next week's parades, and other activities planned to bring the city together.
The saying of "united we stand, divided we fall" is not just a catch phrase. It is truth.
Divided as the city is now, it has the potential to implode completely. I know I'd hate to see that happen. It was once a booming city that people from all over the United States flocked to for positive reasons. Today, though, we see people running away from it for the negatives. There's no reason that it can't be stopped short of everyone just giving up. I don't see that.
There are too many people who do love the town. It's past time to rediscover what made Marlin great. Let the extreme events of late spur the desire for a small town with good schools, good churches and good people. It's not am impossible dream. Other towns have brought themselves back out of similar despair with determination and hard work. Marlin CAN do the same. It all depends on how bad its wanted.
Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe
The Marlin Democrat
June 29, 2005
Last Monday evening as I lay sprawled out on my bed half-asleep, I was jarred awake by news of "a murder-suicide in Marlin." My first thought following the kneejerk reaction of "Huh?" was "What more can this town take?"
There is a definite feeling of uneasiness about the town that seems to be growing stronger every day.
I remember when I came to town last year, the biggest concerns I heard about were people standing outside of HEB, continual water problems, and complaints of the condition of streets.
Today, though, concerns of lost jobs, drugs, gangs and now the events of last Monday have added fuel to an already burning fire. Fingers are being pointed and city unity is falling apart. Everything is someone else's fault, and Marlin problems are unique to the city.
Marlin's problems are not unique. They are a version of the same things that happen in other small towns and in big cities. Every day there are people killed, another person turns to drugs, a violent act occurs leaving a victim who's life is changed forever, and everyone around these people are left asking, "Why?"
I don't know why. Why do bad things happen? Can someone truly give a foolproof answer to that question? I doubt it, and asking it just leaves a feeling of further distress.
A more productive question is "What can I do about it?" It is easy to point fingers and say what should be done. What's hard is getting out there and doing it.
Somewhere out there a baby is being born to parents who have high hopes and dreams for this new life. Somewhere out there is someone earning an honor due to their hard work. Somewhere out there a fresh faced graduate is starting to embark on the next chapter of their life. Somewhere out there a couple is getting engaged, a child is being given a new puppy, someone is buying a new house, and someone is just treating themselves to a fresh cup of coffee.
There are so many good things in this world to hold tight to, and yet the ease of slipping into the unrest of so many problems is prevalent. We lose sight of the good as we slip into despair. We find ourselves lost.
Marlin is full of a lot of unrest right now following events that have left the city in the news. There are even things that never made the news that have left sections of town wounded.
Lost within the events of late are things like the new library, the fact that Falls Community Hospital has repeatedly gotten praise from out-of-towners for good service, new business ventures looking to come into town, and some things as simple as the fact that people do wave when you pass them on the street.
Let the families of Bo and Wendi grieve for their lost loved ones, and then ask what can be done to stop something similar from happening again to someone else. Understand that cuts are having to be made to the city personnel, and ask what can be done to stop other cuts from being made. Be aware that there is criminal activity within the city and look for ways to curb it, even if its just supporting the police and sheriff's departments. Cling tight to events like next week's parades, and other activities planned to bring the city together.
The saying of "united we stand, divided we fall" is not just a catch phrase. It is truth.
Divided as the city is now, it has the potential to implode completely. I know I'd hate to see that happen. It was once a booming city that people from all over the United States flocked to for positive reasons. Today, though, we see people running away from it for the negatives. There's no reason that it can't be stopped short of everyone just giving up. I don't see that.
There are too many people who do love the town. It's past time to rediscover what made Marlin great. Let the extreme events of late spur the desire for a small town with good schools, good churches and good people. It's not am impossible dream. Other towns have brought themselves back out of similar despair with determination and hard work. Marlin CAN do the same. It all depends on how bad its wanted.
