CNHI
JACKSONVILLE — During the course of my childhood, there had been three — three of the most stately, majestic trees in west Jacksonville. Trees that were so beautiful they even named the street “Sycamore” in honor of them. My own grandmother’s parents first owned them. At least six generations have cared for them since, raking the fallen leaves and silvery bark, basking in the sweet breezes the wind made through the branches in the heat of a Texas summer. As a child, I too, climbed those same branches, collecting the bark and the huge leaves for pretend teepees and other projects as I am sure those before me did, fine entertainment for unruly children on a summer’s day.
Time and weather have since claimed two of the three trees and now there is only one. The one that is left has been ravaged by time and wind as well but stands it does. Except now, this lone survivor faces an even more insidious challenge than mere weather and high wind. People from adjacent streets use it for a signboard, hammering into its great trunk, posting signs for sales and such, throwing out trash around its base, even forgetting to retrieve their signs when the posted event has passed. Now the worst intrusion has finally happened this past week. Someone has spray-painted a gang sign on the tree trunk, chest high for all to see, a sad, hideous, testament to such a proud landmark in our city’s history. Less than 24 hours later, another pathetic person has spray painted over the gang sign with an obscene word. A word that every kindergarten age child in Jacksonville will see on the way to Westside School.
Am I angry? Yes. Am I sad? Yes. Mostly, I wonder what I can do to change such a mindset so different from mine. What does it say about our people here who care so little for their community that they would damage something so intrinsic to our history as an almost 150-year-old tree? A tree where little children have played and waited safely for their school bus in the morning, where parents have awaited their return for years and years.
I know that this tree is special to me on a personal level, but I see similar signs of vandalism and litter all over our city, growing by the day. I see vacant dilapidated houses and worse, some with people actually living in them, paying rent to slumlords that should be ashamed of themselves. I think now is the time for each of us to make a difference. We need to address the constant truancy and dropout rate in our schools with a vengeance heretofore not taken. Hard questions need to be asked about the prevalent drug problem in our county and more importantly, why we allow it to continue? Why do so many of our youth wander the streets during school hours? Many of these issues are interconnected. We cannot make excuses any longer We should prosecute the vandals and stop destruction of private and public property. We need to help our law enforcement agencies do what is necessary, and give them the tools to do it. Outwardly, it appears that there are many entities working on different, wonderful projects around the city independently of each other, but few are working together for a similar goal. How can we expect to create jobs and grow the economy to increase the tax base when the city looks so unattractive to perspective newcomers? We need to change this mindset and take back our city. The people of Jacksonville, and certainly our youth deserve no less.
What can we do? I am not sure of the answer, but I do know one thing, that now, there is only one.
Pat Walker Graham, Jacksonville
