Celebrate the Best, Fix the Rest

In our recent special GOOD Ideas issue on crime (see http://www.jfp.ms/crime), the Jackson Free Press presented many research-based ideas on decreasing crime in our community. The best advice might seem the most counter-intuitive at first glance: Stop complaining about crime (or anything else) and acting like it’s out of control. A community’s perception of itself and its problems, according to crime and social-science experts, is a key component in whether it is likely to become a better place to live and raise kids or a worse one.

Of course, we live in a state where residents have long talked down ourselves, our city and our state. No doubt due to our tough and divisive past, many young Mississippians, and Jacksonians, have bided their time until they could get out and never return—except maybe for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cycle hasn’t been helped much, and probably hurt, by corporate media that have set up shop in Mississippi over the years and fanned sensationalistic flames of negativity that increase the state’s “brain drain” of many of our smartest young people.

When the JFP launched in 2002, we immediately took a different tactic about the state and the city—even running the metro’s first “Best of Jackson” ballot in our first issue. We came out of the gate proving our mission: to help our readers see what is already wonderful about where we live and help provide vital information about what needs repairing. That is, we celebrate the “best” of our area in every single issue, while never sugarcoating the problems. Sadly, many media don’t bother to do either one.

In addition, we provide possible solutions whenever we can, from this editorial space to the quarterly GOOD Ideas issues to little info boxes under our articles and on our website (notice how many of these have popped up lately, thanks to reporters R.L. Nave and Elizabeth Waibel?). That is, we don’t just want to complain about problems; we want to fix them.

Meantime, we have been blessed to both assist and chronicle this city’s efforts to re-imagine itself into greatness, real and perceived. Jackson is a very different city than it was a decade ago when we released the first Best of Jackson results. She’s more confident and less defensive against naysayers; she’s also been through some bad times resulting from ill-informed decisions (can we say Frank Melton and Two Lakes?). But as a city, we seem to be learning from our mistakes and getting a bit less gullible when people promise us more than they can deliver.

We need to stay this course, Jackson. We need to continue the “locavore” movement that supports locally owned businesses over mega-chains, thus keeping more tax dollars in the local economy. The bad economy has been tough, but many fine businesses have weathered it by staying focused on quality and staying positive. (Our goals over here at the JFP.)

The JFP applauds every person, business and organization that is making the capital city into a very special place. The world is starting to take notice.