Pubdate: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 Source: Boston Herald (MA) Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc Contact: http://news.bostonherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53 Note: Prints only very short LTEs. TOO 'COMMON' PROBLEM It was a logical reaction to Tuesday's double-stabbing on Boston Common when a young bystander told Herald columnist Peter Gelzinis, "Bad stuff can happen in the nicest places." But the unfortunate fact is that the scene of that stabbing, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, isn't among those "nicest places" and hasn't been for a very long time. It has for too long been a place to be avoided, a place inhabited by drug dealers, dope smokers and assorted ne'er-do-wells who have claimed the turf for their own and rarely get rousted. Even the nice Asian-American ladies who used to like to do their early morning exercises up there seem to have abandoned it for lower and safer ground. So why are we at all surprised when two unarmed park rangers, trying to make a dent in the cesspool the monument area has become, are attacked? It is no secret that much of the Common has become a convenient spot for the homeless and for kids from nearby colleges alike to sit on a convenient bench and smoke a little weed. It is the common denominator along the main walkways of the Common. And we haven't even entered the "medical marijuana" era yet. The city, the state and private foundations are even now investing thousands of dollars in refurbishing the fountains and the landscaping along the Tremont Street side of the Common. But all of that will be a wasted effort, if passersby don't feel safe. This shouldn't be about just one guy with a history of violence acting out. This is about abandoning whole sections of the Common and law enforcement responding only after there's a problem. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom