North County resident and staff writer Ashley Higginbotham defends her hometown amid the unrest in Ferguson
By: ASHLEY HIGGINBOTHAM
Staff Writer
Growing up less than five miles from Ferguson, I never thought that something like this would happen. I always felt safe growing up, and I loved growing up in North County.
I was shocked when I first heard about the riots. I would always stand up for the county that I grew up in, even though people often claim it’s a bad county, full of crime and unrest.
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a joke about how “bad” North County is, I’d be a billionaire. It offends me when people make fun of the place that I grew up. I feel that every county has its stereotypes and little quirks. A lot of people are embarrassed to say that they grew up in the North County area, and I don’t know why. Sure, all the area high schools had Saturday morning games instead of Friday night games because of constant fighting, but fights happen in any school district. All counties have their ups and downs.
Although riots, looting and aggressive force have occurred in areas I love the events are giving negative press to the city of Ferguson, I still feel that it is still a good place to live. I understand that the North County area is not the best area considering crime compared to other counties in Missouri, but I never once witnessed crime as a resident. I could and would walk around at night time without a care in the world. There was not one time where I did not feel safe. I grew up playing T-ball and soccer at Dellwood community center, off of West Florissant. I watched my friends play baseball at the Florissant Area Athletic Association (FAAA) ballpark in Florissant.
I loved growing up in North County because of its diversity. I often meet people from South County whose high school was predominantly white, and I feel that those people are not as fortunate as I was. Even though they probably had more money, I felt that I had more experience with different cultures and morals living in North County.
This diversity should be helping our community heal versus causing unrest as the details of Michael Brown’s death surface. Unfortunately, I think this situation will get worse before it gets better for the image of North County. We still have to deal with what they’re going to do about Officer Darren Wilson, and I feel that when the protestors for Brown find out, they will either be elated, or ready to tear down even more. That’s what scares me the most.
The fear, though, doesn’t stem from Ferguson residents. Instead, it is from those who are trying to gain from tragedy – those who are not even from the city of Ferguson.
We should not be scared of the protestors that remain peaceful, but the people from other areas of the country who come to gain free stuff; those are the people we should fear. In fact, on Tuesday, Aug. 19, more than 50 people were arrested at the protests and only 1 person was from Ferguson, according to National Public Radio.
Clearly, it’s the people from around the country who are making this horrible situation worse – not the people of North County. Support my home town with peace and this community will be known for its diversity as it should be, instead of its unrest.
