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SERWAN ZANGANA: The People of Roanoke Deserve Better

As is the case in the rest of the nation the constant shootings and violence will never be diminished in Roanoke City because of the unwillingness of the officials to step up and take action instead of issuing promises and deceptions that do not even begin to shift the situation by one degree.

How can the Roanoke Mayor’s words assure the safety of the people in the City when he follows the same ideology as the other democrat politicians in the nation? Roanoke City has become a haven for criminals while the citizens are now the victims.

The two shootings that occurred on New Year Eve and Day are just the latest examples of what people have to face in the City. Again, Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea is telling the citizens of Roanoke that the City’s officials are meeting to “find a solution” while the shootings increase! Throughout his Mayoral career, Sherman Lea has failed to meet the standard and perform as a Mayor without allowing his political bias to interfere with his clear duty.

In an interview with WDBJ7, Mayor Lea said that he is working with the officials to make “the Community feel safe.” As part of his obligation to serve the people of Roanoke shouldn’t he be thinking and evaluating himself so that he would know how many times he has promised people safety and security? Unfortunately, because he has prioritized his political agenda, he has broken such promises every time.

It is a political roundabout as Roanoke City officials, including the Mayor, are telling people the same thing over and over without exiting that circle to take a straight path in finding a solution for a safer Roanoke. The irony is that Mayor Lea is admitting that increasing the police force will actually help. Perhaps he needs to be reminded how democrats destroyed the morale among the law enforcement community and discouraged the public to join law enforcement. Is it any surprise that cities are now unable to find officers willing to serve?

Roanoke City becoming one of the unsafe cities in the nation is proof of our elected official’s failure. In general, Democrats have advocated the war against law enforcement either through their silence during the anti-police protests or support for the movement to defund police. The latest two shootings in New Year Eve and day should alert the Citizens of Roanoke that the wrong people were once again sent to the Municipal building back in the November election.

The nobility of a group of humans appears in their actions as they carry out responsibilities in serving other humans, and holding a powerful position reveals the characteristics of those in charge. Those who consider such character as a serious matter in life and fail to do their duty will resign, but the others will continue to hold on to power and continually coming up with different excuses for the public.

To ask a simple question: don’t  the citizens of Roanoke deserve a better gift for the New Year than violence and shootings in their communities? And don’t they deserve a Mayor who is more honest and concerned than Mr. Sherman Lea?

– Serwan Zangana supported Operation Iraqi Freedom as a U.S Army translator before coming to the U.S from Kurdistan, Iraq in 1997 to seek political asylum. He was granted asylum status and years later proudly became a U.S citizen. He currently serves as a correction officer in Roanoke.

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