When is Enough is Enough?

The phrase ‘Enough is Enough’ is born out of frustration and despair over the senselessness of crime in our nation, in our cities and more specifically in the City of Cleveland.

Whether you gather your information from Victimization data, the evidence on criminal behavior, the Uniform Crime Reports or your local news reports.

Your conclusion to crime in the city has to be, that ‘Enough is Enough.’

The question is, when is ‘Enough, Enough?’ Or perhaps a better question is, have you had enough? Are we as a people really ready to step up to the plate and actually do something about the crime-riddled streets of our city?

Recently, a mother Marshawnette Daniels and a father Robert Nicholson shed tears over the senseless death of their daughter, Saniyah Nicholson a nine year old, simply sitting in the back seat of a car eating a frosty with her older sister who was sitting in the front seat.

As reported, young men, two adults Ce'Matizea Andrews, Devontae Nettles and two 17-year olds allegedly, in disagreement with one another took to violence in the street shooting at one another while innocent citizens were driving by, walking by or sitting in a car eating a frosty, such as Saniyah Nicholson.

I knew her; I know her family we worship at the same church. One senseless cowardly act, 15 gunshots, one stray bullet, one shot to the forehead took the life of this young beautiful child who knew none of the young men shooting and had nothing to do with whatever precipitated their disagreement with each other. ‘Enough is Enough'!

Now, another child, a 9-year old little girl Saniyah is unfortunately added to the victims list while we say again with broken hearts that ‘Enough is Enough.’

As citizens of Cleveland, we owe it to those whom have suffered losses as a result of violent crimes in our streets, solutions over and above debates and discussions.

We owe them more than visuals and simply attending funerals.

We owe each other more. Even if you have not suffered a loss as a result of crimes committed in the streets of Cleveland, you are a potential victim and consequently you owe yourself more than visuals at crime scenes and families making funeral arrangements because of some senseless act against humanity is all to common…’Enough is Enough’!

We cannot deny the fact that street opportunities exist that offer and invite our young people into a world of crime. They are given guns, and unfortunately, they carry those guns and other weapons as a badge of badness; as a sign of some misguided honor and as a means of protecting themselves from other young men who feel the same way.

In many instances, they’ve lost any sense of value, real honor and respect for the rights of others.

It is my hope and prayer that we have come to the point where we can say without reservation that ‘Enough is Enough.’

We need more than parties, playgrounds, swimming pools and other recreational devices used to occupy and entertain them....’Enough is indeed Enough’!