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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Love Thy Downtown Neighbor
To the editor: As a nearly 20-year resident of Fort Worth, I found that Dan McGraw’s article “Making Downtown Safe for the Rich” (March 30, 2005) grabbed my attention and served to clarify an emerging trend toward corporate dominance in municipal affairs and development. My last outing at the downtown entertainment district impressed upon me the usual characteristics of metropolitan America, where wealth and status converge in a lavish display of oligarchic extravagance affordable only to well-off members of society. In no way am I naive about the workings of our capitalistic society and its emphasis on wealth. I am, however, disgusted and irritated by the prevalence of elitist attitudes that seems to have taken precedence over local interests, with apparent indifference and disregard for all other segments of our population.
In light of such intense stratification, it should be easy to predict growing discontent and indignant feelings among alienated lower classes. Factor this with hardship and poverty, and we see an imminent escalation in crime as desperation heightens. This cause/effect relationship unfortunately results in a need for more jail cells, which, as usual, should be near the courthouse. A suburban prison would be yet another indication of declining common sense. If the threat of “undesirables” is so intolerable to elitists and corporate interests, perhaps their pedestal could be modified to the level of reality. Ideally, a revival of essential ideas such as equality and brotherhood would counter the ever-widening gap in our society. Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love: Love thy neighbor as thyself.
David Motwani, Fort Worth
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