The Eve of Construction

It is impossible to watch, read or hear the news about the larger cities in the United States and wonder what is going on?  It is totally understandable that there are protests concerning the behavior of the Officer who kneeled upon the neck of his suspect to the point of causing his death.  But how has this morphed into the destruction of local mom and pop businesses, torching of property, and of late, destruction of landmarks and removal of statues?  Even more curious is the lack of response on the part of those elected officials sworn to protect the citizens of their respective cities.  I ask myself daily, “What could they be thinking?”

I then began playing it out in my head.  What I came to was that sooner than later, these metropolitan cities throughout the United States that many have called home for so long will be so undesirable they will be considered uninhabitable.  I then had to ask myself, “Then what?”

Police have been made the black sheep (if I can even say black anymore) of their respective cities.  Those who have not been instructed to stand down have been virtually handcuffed and left powerless in the wake of all this anarchy.  There has even been talk of National Guard being activated.  Talk – but no action. 

I was born and raised in New York City.  Although I have not lived there in longer than I did, I still remember my days there fondly and up until recently looked forward to returning any chance I got.  Now, my conversations with friends are more around, “The city is getting prohibitively expensive.”  “People are leaving in droves.” Well, it is beginning to appear that expense was not driving people out fast enough.

If elected officials are going to permit this demolition of their cities, I must ask myself why?  What is there to gain by allowing city after city to be destroyed from within?  Then it hit me.  These cities are prime real estate.  The cost of one apartment in this city is astronomical compared to other smaller cities.  But it is New York!  What if the value of New York real estate plummets because of the destruction?  What if everyone moves away?  Doesn’t that leave New York ripe for the picking for an opportunist of a real estate investor to come along and purchase city blocks for pennies on the dollar and rebuild it (along with their own empires)? 

In the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey teaches us: Begin with the End in mind.  Did they?

R-O-A-R!!!!