When I was a young child, I walked freely back and forth from the apartments in Stanton (on Fern Street) to my local 99 cent store. Some of the best things me and my sister bought there included Hot Cheetos, noise poppers, and of course Mexican candy. Which is why, it’s all the more sad when I see that it is no longer a 99 cent store, but rather a Mini Mart. Still, some things never change, as the amount of crime in the area persists to this date.
As a kid, I wasn’t well aware of how “dangerous” and crime-ridden the neighborhood was. As an adult, it is more clear to me. I am saddened that your zipcode of where you live can sometimes dictate where your life path goes. Which is why of course education could be the great equalizer. Which is why it’s sad when the students that need education the most (like the ones at my school), are the ones that resist it the most, while suburban students in Irvine value education more, and don’t need it as much to get a leg up in the world.
It all comes down to better parenting, which we need a whole lot more of in this world. I bless the working class parents that continue to push their students to try hard in school to create a better world for themselves and their kids.
