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SECURE: not just another website

By David W. Shelton | October 8, 2007 |

When Terry McMoore asked me to help out with a new website he had in mind, thought it would be just another online brochure or nonprofit website presence. I wasn’t sure if it would be something I really wanted to do at first.

Then he explained the purpose of this proposed website, S.E.C.U.R.E. or Safe and Effective Community Using Resources for Empowerment. It would be a site that would provide critical information to local parents and schools on gang awareness. He didn’t have to twist my arm anymore. I was sold.

After all, this wasn’t my first exposure to working to help promote gang awareness. When I attended the Citizen Police Academy back in 1998, I was astonished as to just how much of a problem it really was, even nine years ago. I didn’t know what a Crip or a Blood was, or even that there was a difference between ‘people’ and ‘folk.’ It was a bone-chilling evening for all thirty-plus people in that class.

I’ve worked on gang awareness projects since then, so I was glad to be able work on this new website. It wasn’t until the project started that I realized just how much information would be included. Mr. McMoore was working closely with Pastor Tommy Vallejos (pronounced vah-YAY-hos, in case you wondered), director of the Hispanic Outreach for Progress and Education (HOPE) and associate pastor of Faith Outreach Church.

I was well-acquainted with Pastor Tommy and his passion. He is uniquely qualified to present information on gang awareness since he is a former gang member. His testimony of personal tragedy and transforming faith is one that everyone should hear. Because of his community involvement and work on immigration issues around the state, he’s clearly emerging as a national leader in the Latino community.

I asked him to start sending me some information for this new website. I should have known better… it was like opening an encyclopedic floodgate of information. He literally sent scores of links and government resources that would all need to be incorporated. Needless to say, it was quite a challenge to sort through.

One thing I’ve learned over the years, though: If a project isn’t a challenge, then it’s not worth taking on. I picked up that tip right around the same time I learned that it’s not wise to ask a poor man for financial advice. Another bit of sound council I have embraced is that if I want to learn how to make an impact, then I should hang around people who are already doing it. But why would I even mention these otherwise unrelated nuggets of good, common sense?

Quite simply, Both Terry and Pastor Tommy have been the kind of men who have encountered great resistance in life. In spite of that resistance, both men have become the kind of community leaders that Clarksville really needs. Sure, they’ve gotten a lot of heat in the last few years from outspoken local critics because of their activist work. But then, so have I. I guess we’re all in good company.

There’s a word that I would also use to describe both men: advocate. They will literally stand in the gap for someone who’s been wronged. They don’t do it because they’re a part of some organization or civil rights group; they get involved because it’s the right thing to do. Not everyone agrees with their work. Frankly, they don’t really care. That’s what makes them special… and effective.

I’m proud to have been involved in this project. I’m equally honored that these lightning bolts of passion asked me to be a part of it. The parents, teachers, and residents of Clarksville (and around the world) will now have one of the most in-depth resources available. I want to publicly thank both men for being such a driving force with this project.

The site, www.clarksvillesecure.com, will be officially launched on Tuesday, October 9th with a presentation at 7:00 pm that evening at Xtreme Ministries, located at 1595 Fort Campbell Boulevard. We invite the community to join us as we showcase this wealth of information.

About David W. Shelton

Posts by David W. Shelton are copyright (c)2006, 2007, 2008 by the author. All rights reserved. David W. Shelton is a writer, speaker and activist in Clarksville, and serves on the Clarksville Human Relations Commission. His passions include film and complete equality for all people, and he has worked in various capacities to work toward this goal. He is currently an illustrator, graphic designer, trainer, and is the owner of Imagine Media Solutions. He is an Adobe® Certified Instructor in Photoshop®.

Web Site: http://www.skippingtothepiccolo.com/

Email: dwshelton@charter.net

Sections: Issues, News, Technology
Topics: S.E.C.U.R.E. Website, Terry McMoore, Tommy Vallejos, Xtreme Ministries

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