There are times when going that extra mile to bring attention to a serious issue can be the tipping point needed to get the desired results. This time, one of the most serious issues facing our neighborhood is of course the dangerous situation with traffic and certainly highlighted by the recent death of a young child and serious injuries to another.
Residents responded with legitimate outrage and understandable shock to what happened on L Street a few weeks back and channeled those emotions into activism. They demanded and attended meetings with traffic officials, our elected representatives and law enforcement and respectfully but firmly would not be silenced until they got at least some of the answers they were seeking. New signs and traffic lights and barriers have been installed; all of them needed, along with promises of better enforcement and penalties for scofflaws, who so often show a lack of respect for locals when using our streets. But action was taken to the next level and rightly so by local people who, clad in their neon yellow T-Shirts and carrying signs, took to the streets and physically put their own bodies on the line in a symbolic, but well-organized demonstrations at some of those dangerous intersections.
The message sent by residents of all ages, from moms and dads pushing baby carriages, senior citizens and teenagers, long-time residents and new comers alike, added clout and a greater sense of urgency to the message being sent. That message is that this is where the line is drawn; not in sand but in concrete – no longer will South Bostonians allow our streets to be dangerous. It ends now. Sometimes activism, including going to the streets is the answer. But it’s important to remember that the pressure must be kept up, if the results are to be lasting and not just temporary.
