Solutions

Community involvement is the key, unfortunely people know many times criminals are on the streets in 1-3 years now making the "tipster" concerned for their own safety. If we want people to get involved, harsher punishment is needed for these criminals.

As a teacher for 22 years in the PUSD, the violence in the communityhas always been high as compared to other cities with the same logistical statistics. Ous community leadership has never been able to reduce the violence. As a teacher I teach the "celebaration of diversity" with my students. These teachings I hope will reduce one of the main reasons for the violence in Pomona, which is racism. Blacks, Latino, Asians,
Whites have all been victims of racism in Pomona. The district administaration does not make tolerance a main focus in their teaching philosophies. I often have to make administrators understand that celebrations of ethnic cultures in California is a mandate in the teaching classroom. Most teachers just do not teach cultural holidays. PUSD is mostly interested in test scores and forget about the consequences of racism and violence in the community. Race riots are still evident in the high schools, and thus carry out into the streets. The latest shootings of two citizens on Karesh Street is evident of such hate.

One of the many solutions to end the violence is to fight violence with non-violence. We need to name streets in Pomona with role models like Cesar Cavez, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, and Mother Teresa. Let the world know that Pomona promotes non-violence. We need to have a Human Rights Display in the Fairplex so that students, community groups, and guests to Pomona can learn from the display. Se need to implement non-violence and culltural celebrations in the PUSD schools. Our children deserve a chance in not falling victims to racism.

I am related to Rolland Hollway, the latest victim of the senseless crime that is plaguing our streets. I would first like to say that Rolland was no GANG MEMBER!! However he was a father of three children that are now left without a father. When they ask me why did this happend to daddy? I sit there dumb founded without being able to offer a response. Who can they call daddy now? Who will walk his daughters down the isle on their wedding day? These are questions I would like to ask those that are responsible?? Can they look his children in the eye and explain why their father's life was taken away from them? I watch the news and I use to be in shock over what I would see happening in Iraq, but the truth is the exact same thing is happening in our streets. Our streets are being plagued with violence so that a certain gang can maintain a reputation and have street credibility. These people don't even pay taxes, or own a home in the neighborhoods that they are trying to take over. What is the solution? I don't know, but I do know that we as a people must stand up for our streets and families against these people that have reguard for human life.