“The Club” On B-Ball Hoops?
So I came across an article in the MJS detailing the measures taken by Brown Deer school officials to curb some problems they’ve had at one of the basketball courts at an elementary school. Apparently there’s been at least one robbery, some drug dealing and gunshots, and some vehicles have been broken into, so in response school officials have locked down the basketball courts with The Club. Yeah, that’s right…The Club. The same device that’s kept so many car safe from theft is now keeping basketball courts in Brown Deer safe from rowdy kids looking to shoot a few hoops. [/sarcasm]
Now in the article itself there’s talk about how this is racially motivated, seeing as how most of the young folks who play basketball at the court in question are African-American,and while it might seem (at least on the surface) like there’s some legitimacy to those claims, I’d rather believe that this is all about public safety. Sure, it’s important to give young people a place to go and play basketball and keep busy, but when a basketball court becomes a hub of criminal activity it’s time to take action, regardless of the skin color of those involved. In fact, the article talks about how basketball courts in other parts of Milwaukee and the suburbs have taken similar steps or have gone so far as to shut down.
Personally, I don’t see this being as much about race as it is about criminal activity. I think it’s just a shame that some young people can’t act in a more responsible manner, because ultimately folks who just want to be able to live their lives and have some fun are the ones who suffer