
Birmingham, Al—Just when you think it safe for you and your kids go out, past all the bullets flying and crooked politics there may lye a larger danger, your Mayor!
This story is not an anti God story it is a true story about Deep South religion and a town in time of peril. Mayor Larry Langford has called for “sackcloth and ashes” rally at Birmingham, Alabama famous Boutwell Auditorium. The event is inspired by the book of Jonah and involves wearing burlap bags like they did in the ancient city of Ninevah in The Old Testament. Sounds like Langford might be missed that day in class talking about separation of church and state!
That part is up to the government, I am worried about the fact that someone thinks that prayer and a reenactment will solve the cities growing crime rate. Prayers is always good and add a little a drama, sounds good too. But there is a church for religion and Federal law say it should not be mixed with Official government event!
There have been 27 people killed in Birmingham already this year and last year 93 Homicides. The FBI indicates that Birmingham ranked 8th nationally in 2007 homicide rate among cities with over 100,ooo in the population.
Here is how you can help change Birmingham’s crime rate!
1. Sell those 2,000 Burlap bags and get that money back!
2. Take that money and put into more police officers on the street in the run down neighborhoods and in the busy areas of town! A presence always helps a town out!
3. Instead of wearing the bags use that time to discus solutions to the problem at hand. Hand out flyers that will tell how you can help where you live. You can pray till the cows turn blue, and trust there are a lot of cows in Alabama!
4. What about taking the money that it cost to host the event and use it for a city program that helps solve the crime rate.
5. Pay organizers that have had earlier experience in other similar high crime towns to lead the program.
6. At least you could have bought shirts that would last longer and enabled your message to be spread longer. The kids might look at you strange about this one, it is not them I would worry about, and the American Civil Liberties Union is on your trail.
7. Bring "The First 48" and clean out the high crime areas! Last year Former Mayor Bernard Kincaid pulled the plug on plans to highlight city murder investigations on the national cable television program. What such a great this show could have done for Birmingham!
More coming on this soon I promise!