From today’s Boston Globe editorial “Two Bostons, revealed”
Off to the side, [City Council president Maureen] Feeney assured some residents that her office was taking a tough approach to a Lower Mills family suspected by police of a series of assaults and intimidating acts.
In this Boston, people left the meeting feeling assured that their political leaders would find a way to deal effectively with their public safety. And by and large, they are right. Under pressure from politicians, the landlord has initiated eviction proceedings against the problem family. And today, the Boston Housing Authority revoked the family's Section 8 rental certificate, addressing fears that the tenants would use the voucher to simply relocate nearby.
Two Bostons? This action sounds much like Puritan Boston that once banished disruptive Quakers to Rhode Island. Cotton Mather, meet Maureen Feeney.
And who knew the Globe editorial board was so tough on crime? I doubt the Globe would approve of this treatment were it being applied to undocumented immigrants.
2 comments:
Thanks for the tipoff! I missed this in today's paper.
I live down the street from that Lower Mills family. Clearly, the Globe glossed over the seriousness of the issue--I'm thinking maybe they're worried about liability.
The "assault" I'm sure they're referring to is the killing of Michael Hansbury, who died this summer of head injuries after a confrontation with a group of neighborhood kids. Nobody's been arrested for the homicide, so far as I know, but it's definitely what's been behind the push to get the family evicted.
I'm sure Globe editors know that the word on the street around the neighborhood is that people in that family were involved in Mike Hansbury's death--but perhaps they can't come out and say it. I suspect it's a little too anecdotal for their lawyers to be comfy with.
Assault indeed.
In that case a conviction would be better than an eviction.
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