The latest local report of urban core gunfire brings an uncomfortable fact to light along with an ensuing debate over Kansas City reporting.
Resolved:
THE RECENT NAME CHANGE ON THE PASEO CONFOUNDS KANSAS CITY MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND NOW NEWS OF RISING CRIME ALONG MLK BLVD CONFRONTS POLITICALLY CORRECT CULTURE WAR CONSIDERATIONS!!!
The essence of the journalistic debate . . .
Newsies don't want to offend either side of this ongoing name-game drama - Calling it The Paseo is a snub to many ministers, politicians and activists who believe the change of the Boulevard moniker is a sign of civil rights progress whilst referring to it as MLK denies the grassroots petition effort hopefully headed to a public vote.
Additionally, reporting more violence along MLK/The Paseo is subject to criticism from some members of the clergy and Black leadership who don't want the name of the new street marred by violence . . . A situation that exists in every other city in the nation and is the subject of an infamous Chris Rock monologue.
Nevertheless . . .
TKC FACT: THERE IS, IN FACT, AN UPTICK IN VIOLENCE ALONG MLK/THE PASEO SINCE THE NAME CHANGE!!!
There's no evidence that any of the recent carnage is related to the name change but to deny the tend is to endanger residents and the reputation of news outlets trusted to share facts with Kansas City.
The latest example of all this is exemplified by this report of a shooting just a stone's throw away from the now controversial street. Checkit:
KCTV5: One person shot late Friday night in parking lot of shopping center
Deets:
Just before 9:30 p.m. on Friday night, police were called to the 1600 block of E. 63rd St. on a shooting.
Police state that two people were in the parking lot of the shopping center when an unknown suspect drove by in a vehicle and started shooting at them.
Authorities report the victims are expected to survive.
Developing . . .