Students Write - Prof. Martin's Class: Nicall

FM 1960 - Opportunity for Change
by Nicall Lindsay

Do you ever just drive around your community and wonder what you can do to make it better? In low income neighborhoods there are an excessive number of liquor stores, pawn shops, and places to receive loans. I am living in a low income community off FM 1960 in Houston. I want to change the outlook of it.

Why is there an excessive number of liquor stores in low income neighborhoods? Research shows that liquor stores target areas in poverty. A suggestion I have is that Harris County should place a limit on how many liquor stores you can have in a community.

There are lots of pawn shops and ready cash loan shops, with loan and pawns shops working together. We should have a place that gives people an alternate option on that same exact street. That way people won’t have to turn around and sell their belongings to the local pawn shops in order to pay back their loans.  It's a never-ending cycle that is designed for failure.

I see defeat within low income areas, people working just to barely get by. The feeling of being in a sunken place should be a problem for individuals; it should be everyone’s problem. Trying to make the neighborhood you live in the best it can be and should be something that everyone wants. I know things can be better; I've handed out turkey with the Fifth Ward Texas Senator Borris Miles and seen the smiles on people’s faces.

You can’t wake up every day doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.  Why not wake up every day coming up with ideas on how to improve your surroundings. Changing the outlook on low income communities can make a better and more positive environment for people within the community.

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Nicall is a current student in Professor Bruce Martin's writing class.