Buffalo Rising Online

Sep 13th 2007, 1:18pm By Marilyn Rodgers

Editor's note: The following begins Marilyn Rodgers' series of community advocate/heroes.

Due to fear of retribution, the first installment of celebrating our neighborhood heroes must be written as an anonymous person, so we will call her Miss M.

In her late 60’s, Miss M has been an underground force for the East Side of Buffalo. Plagued with cancer and a heart condition, this woman still goes out in her vehicle to inspect adjoining streets and write down descriptions of illegal activity and drug dealers.

There have been attempts to form a block club in her area, but to no avail past the first month of each effort. Fear of retribution casts its ugly head over this area, and many who have lived here throughout generations, experiencing both high times and now low, are wrought in trepidation.

Many of her neighbors say, “No, I’m not getting involved, it’s too dangerous,” and there have been many times when Miss M throws up her hands in despair, on the verge of quitting her activities. Still, her will continues.

Surrounded by drug houses and gang activity, Miss M provides information to the BPD Tip Line and others in the community she knows she can count on. She feels that it’s not much, but it is truly making a big difference.

Unfortunately, when one group leaves, a few months or even weeks later, another enterprise opens up on the streets. That’s where the discouragement comes from. Miss M has thought long and hard about it, coming to a conclusion that many might say is ridiculous. “It seems that these folks are getting younger and younger. I know many of them have family issues, where their moms and daddies aren’t taking care of them, but there’s other folk out there that watch over them. No, they’re getting their training from the TV and the music that’s out there now. It’s “gangsta this” and “gangsta that.” I remember a time when you couldn’t even say “damn” on the radio. That’s all changed now.”

It’s true, the FCC deregulation process in the mid-eighties allowed those “Seven Filthy Words” from George Carlin and a great deal more to enter the airways. Added to that is the fact that network programming has become more and more like cable programming with shows that depict more skin, sex, and violence than ever before. Now, add that to the fact that during the 60’s a new generation was under the watchful eye of the television as a babysitter. Our media is now the guide for young people’s lives and the government is doing nothing about it through proper regulation.

Enter the crack generation – Miss M continues, “More and more teenage pregnancy due to lack of parental supervision – babies having babies. The current members of gangs are now the grandchildren of those who were seduced by crack in the 70’s and 80’s.”

“And now, it’s left up to the great-grandparents of the community who are afraid to come out and wag their fingers at a youngster as they did many years ago if a neighbor’s child was up to nuisance. If I say anything to a child coming down my sidewalk, creating a bad scene or breaking up someone’s flowers, or anything even worse than that, it’s the first time I ever see their mother, and she’s yelling at me for saying something to her kid.”

“We used to have a village mentality and now that’s all gone. And these youngsters are taking over the streets at the ages of nine and ten. There’s no place for them to go when their parents aren’t doing for them. It’s a shame. But we got to keep on it, or else it’ll get worse.”

Miss M continues to fight for her neighborhood under the watchful eye of those wanting her to move away. She’s a model of courage. It’s just too bad she couldn’t be identified in this article, but her story needs to be told to encourage others to act in the same manner as she does if they feel compromised. She “keeps on,” albeit in an underground fashion, but she gets things done. A tip of the hat to Miss M.