OPINION

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. We’ll rise up – together, stand up for something that matters much to the citizens of Manchester, and that is to support recovery in this community of ours.

If I rise high like the waves, if you, the BMA, rise unafraid of fighting by way of the truth to deal with our mental health – homeless – drug addiction issues and the crimes that addictions often bring forward into our city, that at times cause even more destruction of death, through shootings and stabbings,  only then will we get to solve our drug addictions together as one community within Manchester.

Addictions must be treated like an illness, yes, sometimes like a cancer in remission that fails and once again without losing faith, together we rise up to try and beat this awful illness from addiction. But we stand up as one city, higher than our social and economic differences; higher than the economic levels to get the job done right within the Queen City.

I’m not a stranger to the dark.  Hide away, people like Joe Kelly Levasseur say,  ’cause we don’t want your broken parts. I’ve learned to be ashamed of all my scars by people like JKL, even if I succeed in long-term recovery. There is no way to please the likes of JKL. Run away, they say; no one will love you, as for recovery is a joke to the JKL’s of the world, without having any compassion.

But I won’t let the JKLs break me down to dust. I know that there’s a place for us all in this city of Manchester,  for we are glorious when we all work together in fighting this addiction within this city of one that pulls together to solve – not condemn – those who are the victims of mental health, drug addictions and as well those that are the victims of crime, causing chaos and death within our neighborhoods that make up the Queen City of Manchester.

When their sharpest words want to cut me down, I’m going to send a flood – gonna drown ’em out.

I am brave – I am bruised – but I am who I’m meant to be. This is me.

Look out ’cause here we come within the recovery groups and we’re marching on, to the beat of a different drum, one that allows Safe Stations to continue saving lives within our city of one.

I’m not scared to be seen and I make no apologies for being in recovery – this is me.

Another round of bullets hits my skin. Well, fire away, cause today I won’t let the shame sink me.

JKL put out a picture of a man collapsed on Elm Street on his social media accusing that man of drug addiction. We don’t know his actual circumstances, but even if that man is struggling with addiction, he was in need of medical help.

Once again, that same picture resurfaced nearly a week later on social media, this same homeless man on the night of a two-alarm fire on the West Side of Manchester was not called by the City Fire Depart. In fact, there were three calls, back-to-back that day. The first  fire truck was sent to aid a man who was collapsed. The second truck also went to a medical call. The third truck, dispatched within a minute of the first two, went to the West Side fire. But NO calls were made to pick up the man in the picture that night. That was a lie on JKL’s part.

The narrative out there, that somehow a sick person prevented a response to a fire is false, one that is perpetuated by people without all the facts, who want citizens to think the worst.

That mentality makes our city even sicker, especially when perpetuated by  someone who represents us as an Alderman at Large!

We are bursting through the barricades and reaching for the sun with or without the help of those like JKL, for our recovery comes first in this city of the tens of thousands in long-term success from drug addiction recovery, in this city of one. We are the warriors – yeah – that’s what we’ve become, without the help of the JKLs out there.

I won’t let them break me down to dust. I know that there’s a place for us all in this Queen City of Manchester for recovery to succeed – for we are glorious. and I know that we deserve to be here living in recovery – there’s nothing we are  not worthy of.

This is brave – this is bruised this is who we’re meant to be.

I am in recovery, and am proud to be there as someone in recovery making a difference in my community because of it. I am always proud to be myself as there’s nothing to be ashamed of being in recovery, working our programs, and in making Manchester a better city for it, as we resolve our addiction problems. I ask that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen  condemn actions like those of Joe Kelly Levasseur, unethical means of dividing not resolving our issues. Together we can succeed only if we work together as one city.

Stop closing down city programs that work and start solving these major problems that are before us. We can become higher than all the adversities within our community around us and together we can move mountains and our Queen City forward.

‘Safe Stations Saves Lives… and begins one on the right track in recovery to a new day in life.’

Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Send submissions to carolrobidoux@manchesterinklink.com, subject line, The Soapbox

Glenn RJ Ouellette is a longtime city resident and faithful attendee as city meetings. He has run for mayor three times and hosts Ouellette At Large, a program on Manchester Public Television.