Morrissey today; Jackson tomorrow

September 1st, 2009 at 12:55pm Wally Haas

The Editorial Board had about an hour chat with Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey today. We asked the mayor how he was going to help the community healing process over the shooting of Mark Anthony Barmore. The mayor has been very busy meeting with many members of the community, working with law enforcement and working with the Department of Justice. We’ll have more in an editorial for Wednesday.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson will visit us Wednesday. I talked to Jackson via telephone yesterday and he, too, talked about the healing process.  He called the situation very tense and potentially explosive. From the folks I’ve talked to who were at Jackson’s Sunday appearances, he has had a calming effect on the audiences.

In our phone conversation Jackson talked about Rockford’s chronic problems with truancy and high unemployment. He’ll be talking to high school students tomorrow about the value of education.

Jackson, for the most part, has had a positive effect. However, as welcome as his visits are, Rockford must learn to solve its problems by itself and not rely on outside influences.

A famous Jackson quote that applies here is “It is time for us to turn to each other, not on each other.”

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized