Subj: Go to Hell, You're Halfway There!!


    Strong evidence of Postal employees stealing someone's mail,
sporting goods stores proudly displaying the second amendment bumper
stickers yet still refuse to sell firearms. Accusations of police
picking on certain ethnic groups and with yet unreported insinuations
of some of them turning their backs on known criminals due to someone
having some clout city and state wide. In my travels through this city
the past year and a half I have heard the phrase lay off the "Working
Girls" one too many damn times. I know they don't mean the women going
to work downtown. I know they aren't talking to me, because I am in no
position to do anything about it. Are they talking about the police
being ordered to lay off the prostitutes or are they referring to some
wise guys that might have some officer in their pockets?
    What in the name of decency is going on around here? People are
wanting to privatize the school system due to the city's incompetency.
Wanting to build a Centerplex in the area is a great idea and should be
fully supported, yet keeping the "undesirables" from latching
themselves onto it requires some strict policies. There are people
constantly driving up and down this same street at night. There is
usually only one reason in this neighborhood. The bicycle patrols in the
summer are a good idea, what about in the winter? Dog sleds and parkas?
I don't think the dealers care about the weather. Doesn't anyone in
this city have the jewels to tell the citizens the truth? Are they
afraid of reprisals or being ostracized by their neighbors and
co workers? I don't think the truth will be heard this year with city
elections coming soon. Personally, I am getting f..king tired of seeing
ATF, FBI, DEA and local police on the evening news. People are too
damned scared to go out at night and the only reason most people have
to go downtown, other than dinner and social events (not attended by
the ordinary citizen BTW) is to "Hang". Empty store fronts that once
held a thriving business. Memories of a well populated Elm St. with
schools, several Department stores and grocery stores. What replaced
them? Now stand half and fully empty office buildings. Doesn't anyone
in the city have any vision or foresight? Look at where we are going?
The financing that was mostly responsible for partially reducing the
street crime this past summer, ran out recently and could have not been
renewed? What then?
     Maybe some aldermen and perhaps the mayor should travel to a larger
city in this nation that has dealt with these problems successfully. Why
not change the sentencing procedures and make the time sentenced stick.
I wouldn't go to the extreme of proclaiming make 'em prisoners or make 'em
dead, but the idea does have some attractiveness.<G> The recent gun
incident at Central brought to this one person's mind a question. They
were going to expel a 16 yr old with an obvious rebellious attitude. What
a way to create a criminal. I have lived in a city where the city was forced
to install metal detectors in Junior Highs and some Elementary Schools.
Thats no mistake, Elementary Schools. People in this state are beginning
to see what things can become. I heard a lady this summer being interviewed.
She had move here from Lynn, Ma. She was basically appalled. She stated
she had moved from Lynn to get away from that stuff. Lynn is known
semi-affectionately as the "City of Sin". Hmmm, what a moniker to be
dealt by those coming to the clean living of NH.
    I am not railing on this state and city to give me something to do.
I am proudly a native of this state and have lived in the immediate
Manchester area close to 17 years during my life. (I am 36) This is
one of the nicest and for the most part, friendliest states and cities
I have seen. This is a state that attracts a healthy tourist dollar. It
sometimes seems, however, that the state cares more about the tourist
than the year round residents. I suppose we should be happy. The time
to worry would be when we regularly show up on COPS. Maybe that wouldn't
be such a bad idea after all. Embarrassment has changed many a life and
attitude for the better.


                                                 William H Ford

                                                 October 16, 1995