Kym Worthy upset over the lack of public outrage

July 2, 12:46 AMDetroit Conservative ExaminerJoshua Lobdell

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Note the quotes in this article are from a statement released by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, obtained from myfoxdetroit.com.

On Tuesday afternoon two people in Detroit got out of their car at a local gas station, used their t shirts to hide their faces, took out semi automatic weapons and opened fire into a crowd of people waiting to get on a bus. In the end 7 teenagers were wounded.

This was a story that most local Detroiters paid no attention to at first, because to be quite honest it is the kind of thing you expect to hear happening in Detroit. The simple fact that 7 teenagers were shot on a street corner as they waited for the bus didn’t seem to be something to take notice of.

Here is a look at the incident:

That is what a sad state the city is truly in, we citizens of Detroit expect these things to happen, and when they do they barely make through the other noise of the day. Remember we are talking about 7 teenagers who were shot while waiting for the bus.

This act should have the public in an out cry, how can are children be gunned down while waiting for a bus? The sad fact here is I heard about this story in casual conversation over coffee talking about how to fix the Detroit Pistons.

While the public at large may be in an outcry over this latest act of violence within the city, the real truth here is this kind of violence has become so common, so everyday, that it is hard to notice. How sad is it that we live in and around a city where this kind of violent act is the norm?

It is a question Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is struggling with as well. In response to this act she said,”I have never understood why it takes a crisis like multiple children shot in this community for people to get outraged; for people to say, "Enough!”; for everyone to really sit up and pay attention. Is one child shot enough? Apparently not. That happens frequently in Detroit and in other places in Wayne County. We see a child shot down on the news and we take another bite of our cereal. We are that immune to violence in this town.”
In a city where every news cycle is filled with rape, robbery, and murder it takes a grand act of violence or mayhem to get the citizens to take notice. Apparently 7 teenagers getting shot while waiting for a bus just doesn’t rate.

Worthy continued, “Are two children shot enough for action? Nope, not that either. It barely registers on our personal Richter scale. In my office, more and more work comes through the door with fewer and fewer people to do it. All we hear all day is what more can be cut now? How about using all of our energy on making sure we are dealing with our shot, stabbed, maimed, murdered, frightened, abused, truant, and drug addicted, drug selling, and acting out children?”

“Is three or four enough? No. It may cause some business leaders and elected officials to shake their heads and mumble to themselves about how are we ever going to get business to come here now? "Something should be done to put a positive spin on the city," they always say. "We must try to stuff the elephant in the room in the closet for now," they say,” Worthy went on.

It would seem that Worthy, who by the way is one of the finest public officials we have in this town, is upset and frustrated over the continued cutting of budgets while the city around us roots, and the violence becomes commonplace.

The great thing about Worthy is that unlike other politicians who speak to score cheap political points, Worthy rarely steps to a microphone unless she has a specific gripe and a plan to counter it, “Two years ago my staff and I presented a school and gang violence proposal to the Wayne County Commission. I have not brought it out since then because there is no money. I am going to be meeting today with Wayne County officials to discuss this once again. It isn't rocket science; it works in other cities. It will not be a quick fix. It must be done right. Maybe, if we start right away, if we don't worry about who gets the credit, if we get our priorities in order, we can at least get a pilot done by the opening of school in the fall. But there are other things that can be done right away.”

Since 7 teenagers were recently shot waiting for the bus, I think it is time we let Worthy enact her plan, and we band together as a community to stop the violence.