Letter: It's time to stop the violence

“But he who heard and did nothing is like a man that built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
—Luke 6:49

First and foremost, condolences and prayers for the family of Ms. Tatravia R. Bryant. On April 14, around 3:24 a.m., a young mother lost her life in a senseless shooting, from a bullet that was not (as said) meant for her. That same night at 11:15 pm, after investigators did their investigations, again another shooting in the same area (Bray Lane and Irish Bend in Franklin.)

How is it that these things keep happening in this small area and no one knows what is going on?

It is getting to the point that some residents don’t want to stay in their homes (from speaking to them). I myself am a native of the St. Joseph community and was scared to go to my sister’s home to visit after all that was going on this past weekend. If we as a community cannot come together, who else will? This is a cry out for help, not a sit down and gossip session. Don’t be scared to speak out and do something about issues at hand.

“I’m scared, I can’t, it’s my family, I won’t snitch." These are statements that are being said, but no one thinks about the families that lost loved ones because of the senseless gun violence that is out of control in St. Mary Parish. Too many times we as people let things slide or keep them under wrap (hidden) because it’s a family member or friend of someone on the inside. Why is that? Wrong is wrong; right is right. Have we learned from the many bodies of young men and women in and out of our community that have been gunned down for drugs, for having something someone else wanted rather than taking a stand to be better.?

Doing a brief interview with a few residents, this is what was stated: “All this shooting is senseless shooting up cars trying to scare people and now someone is dead.” “I’m not going to let anyone run me being scared to walk in my community, but I have to protect my family." And “We are mad because some in the community are upholding the wrongdoing. The shooting has to stop."

One person stated, “We take our hats off to the officers that came to the houses on Saturday for the searches, putting their lives in danger to protect a neighborhood they are not even from."

When the shots were heard, all we could think about was who was it, what happened, why here? I asked why did no one report it and tell what they know?

“I think that people are scared because of retaliation and backlash.”

Now it’s time for us to stand up for what’s right. We are concerned that there will be no peace in our area until something is done, from a concerned neighbor that will speak out!

To get straight to the point, this is a “call to action” for people in the community, a community that we know has had issues before but now these issues are out of hand. Too much hush-hush and no one helping. From Morgan City to Jeanerette, there have been numerous shootings this year. Stop the violence; stop being violent!

LaKeisha Trimm
Public relations officer
St. Mary NAACP Branch 691
Reginald Weary, president