Is bad press the only press?? (What Hope doesn`t sell papers?)

I probably should not be writing this now, it is past my brain`s prime time. In fact my brain shuts down around 9p.m. and here I am so frustrated and so inspired to write I find myself making my brain form sentences and coherent thoughts in order to express my outrage at the W-Five. Now I always new they were one sided Ontario centric journalists, but I thought their recent news report on the gangs in Regina would tell both sides of the story. When will I learn news people are only interested in the violent, depressing, and hopeless stories. The sensational attention grabbing points of views. I get gangs are a problem, I get that statistics are against those kids in poverty and injust situations. But I also know there are programs that seek with all their hearts, energies and fundraising to struggle to build relationships with the at risk kids and provide alternative choices for the youth of Regina. Aghhhh, but no, the media only wants to paint the picture that nothing is being done to challenge these gangs. And shame on our mayor, as much as I like and support Mr. Fiacco, him saying that the city can only help those who want to help themsleves…These are kids we are talking about. Yes they have choice for good or bad but when you are a twleve years old who has onlyexperienced a transient life style being moved from here to there, staying at this relatives house and then crashing at this friends pad you long for stability and family. A gang to them is the right and good choice, to them they are helping themselves out of lonliness and danger. What the mayor should of talked about, and reaserched for his answer, is all the government and non profit organizations who battle to be these kids alternative, for family and belonging. However, the reality is the press is so preoccupied with the bad and negative of our communitythat they have failed to show the positive heros. These volunteers and underpaid employees fight for finances, buildings, supplies, and community support all to give a kid a choice that is beneficial to their futures. How discouraging and insulting to these passionate employees and volunteers, who work overtime to build relationships and teach alternative positive life lessons to Regina youth, to hear on national television that the city of Regina is failing it`s youth. Now I know I am only one person with one opinion and I have only a limited perspective on the situation but I am angry. I am so sick of the negative attention given our youth especially aboriginal youth. I know so many amazing influencil aboriginal people working so hard for their communities and country where are their stories? In no way am I saying the gang situation should should be ignored, but it needs to be balanced so that people don`t get discouraged and give up, people need to know their is hope that is the only way anything is overcome. My plea is for the media to give people who are fighting and sacrificing for change, HOPE, that all their effort is not in vain. We get it gangs are bad and destroy lives, ehough! Share the stories about commuity programs and people that are defying the depressing statistics. Share with Canada that gangs do not  have to win, share with our society that gangs are not influencing every kid for evil. The inner city of Regina is full of amazing people, self sacrifincing, successful people. Where are their stories in the media?. Give the country our city the oppurtunity to reach out and help, but who is going to want to give resources to a situation that apparently has no hope of improving. Why bother helping a community who has  and will always receive bad press.

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