UNITED STATES—The recent media blitz about the three women who were found alive trapped inside a house of horrors in Cleveland, Ohio is astonishing to say the least. The fact that these women had been missing for over 10 years and were found alive was welcome news. The big question everyone wants to know is how these women went unknown, unseen for years in a home that was so close to neighbors who never suspected a thing.
Someone in that region, that neighborhood must have saw something or seen something that caught their attention. Or it could have been a situation where the girl’s captors literally kept them locked inside the home or in a cellar, locked away from the outside world. Reports have surfaced that police had been called to the residence before and may have missed vital clues leading to the whereabouts of these women. My argument is that as a nation we have to be more vigilant with our eyes and ears.
Too many adults and children go missing during the year and are never to be found. It’s alarming, scary and downright despicable to know people are out there watching and waiting to do harm to others. If we spot or notice something that is wrong, we have to let our voices be heard. Do not sit around and wait until weeks later or years later to come forward with information, by that time things may be too late. When someone goes missing time is a crucial element, especially the first 24 hours. Those leads that police receive could be the difference between life and death.
When a crime occurs, whether it’s a murder, a robbery, a rape, vandalism, drunk driving or something that can harm someone else, it must be reported. There is always someone watching, even if someone thinks they’re not being watched people always see something from a distance. There are concerns about safety when it comes to testifying in high-profile cases.
Can the police really keep the person safe? What about retaliation, could the person who reports something be collateral damage? These are all primary concerns for people who see something and question whether or not they tell. All legitimate excuses, but you have to remember a person who stays silent allows a criminal to commit more crimes, the bad part is that a crime committed can have an impact on you. Staying silent never helps, tell what you see, play an active role in keeping the bad guys off the street so that they are not able to commit more heinous crimes that affect the public and taxpayers nationwide.
Don’t allow fear to control you. Take fear and control it. Living a life in fear is not healthy for anyone, never allow a person to take away your will to live.
By Trevor Roberts
