Parsons kansas what a joke (Pittsburg, Independence: low income, 2013, insurance)

[pioneer88]

you have to remember as well, that when you're dealing with a smaller city 1 major crime like a murder is going to bump up the numbers considerably in a given year. Obviously a murder is a big deal, but definitely an isolated thing. Is there crime, sure but not so much it affects your everyday life. There are two places in town I can think of that if shots were ever fired it was 99.999% chance it was on that block. One of those is an apartment complex that has drastically changed in the past 5 years for the better and you'd never know what it used to look like if you weren't from the area.

Also, I agree with MOKAN on their experiences growing up. I personally always appreciated the diversity both racially and economically of Parsons. I had the opportunity to attend great schools both academically, athletically and musically. For the size of schools we were we had a lot of the same types of programs that many suburban schools have. (robotics, engineering, an actual orchestra not just a band) I was very college ready, and if I wanted our school had a program that I could have graduated with an associates upon high school graduation. For me, I'm a much more well rounded person because I interacted with all sorts of people from all walks of life.

I know crime is always something that should be continually focused on, but imho, the sky isn't falling here.

To the original poster I'm fine if you want your city commission to step up their game. As a concerned/interested former resident I would just like to know what your beef is with these people and what you think should be done to fix it.

[denverdee1]

We visited and considered retiring there, but the horribly low mentality of how they treat animals there is appaling! There is one dog that has been caged on an empty lot in a decent neighborhood for years and everyone knows and ignores it! He lays there minute after minute each day with tarps over the small fenced kennel and has food thrown at him, they say..... no loving home, no exercise, no warmth where most dogs lay beside the couch next to you. Just a prisoner on an ugly old junky lot!

That's the other side of the coin- the zoning regulations are not enforced due to lack of funds, I am assuming. So, if they were, this junky camper and ugly lot would have to be cleaned up! And the ugly old houses around town that need to be bulldozed and right across the street from new duplexes! What a great investment in real estate, heh? And this dog could not be left on this lot where no one lives!!!!!!!!!!

So, the city regulations (I am told) say they won't do anything if a dog is not running free and not barking. It seems the whole town goes along with this, what is wrong here????

These antiquated regulations need to be changed? Who is in charge and how do we start a petition, etc? Any ideas?

Can you imagine being a prisoner all of your life in a small kennel, laying out in the cold wind and not being able to be with people or even other dogs? It is so disgusting, we would never retire there and this town with it's unemployment, drug issues and most of the young people leaving for good jobs, will never attract new business or growth. Their housing values will probably depreciate, instead of appreciate.

[ogrbny]

That's horrible!!! You should start a petition!!! We will sign it!!!

[AnywhereElse]

Animal cruelty was a big issue for me when we were living in another city in SE KS. It is a problem with the mentality. I found few individuals with any backbone at all. The blighted properties were let go a lot of times because they were rentals and the property owners were rubbing elbows with city officials. I saw the worst cases of animal abuse and neglect of any other place in the US where I had lived. A lot of this has to do with the drug culture that thrives in the SE corner and be forewarned that just as they will ignore the animal abuse, they will ignore the drug sales and just study how the channels run for years on end. They accept that this is just the way life is and it is for them. I went to the Police Chief about the animals and then the City Manager. Most often when you find this with animals, sadly, you will find they treat their children no better. I am SO glad to be out of SE KS.

Someone sent a message and asked why I didn't just say, Fort Scott. It was Fort Scott but in researching all of the surrounding communities, including Pittsburg, they were all the same. Same time of crimes, theft to support the drug culture not to mention mystery murders, etc. I think that the crime in Parsons exceeds that in Fort Scott and Pittsburg. While it may not be murder, having things taken out of your yard to support someone's drug habits when their welfare money runs out...................... This extends into SW MO also. The crime in the small towns along the border to the south of both states makes them places I would never recommend.

[todd00]

Did you contact the Parsons Shelter? I'd do that first. They are a no kill shelter and operate on an all volunteer staff, so one would think they do care about the animals. If they are no help I would contact other dog rescues/shelters in Kansas using Petfinder. What kind of dog is it? There are breed specific rescues too.

If no one lives there, one might say the dog has been abandoned. Is he fed everyday, certain he has water at all times? If nothing else, take some photos and send them with your story to the major newspapers around the state, Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence, etc, and the college newspapers too. I'd also send them to some of the politicians representing the state. Public sympathy from around the state may get something done faster than anything else. Personally if it were me and I had the opportunity one dark night the dog would mysteriously disappear. While technology expands, humanity lies dormant.

Proud Animal Lovers Shelter
PO Box 48
24052 Meade Road (Intersection of Meade & Gabriel Rd)
Parsons, KS 67357 US
Proud Animal Lovers Shelter | Petfinder.com


the laws
Michigan State University College of Law

[soanchorless]

Ugh, I know what you are saying about animal neglect like that in SE Kansas. It's just considered normal and so sad!! It's just as bad in rural Oklahoma though. And the city authorities do nothing about it. I lived next to a neighbor that abandoned several animals when they moved out. These animals weren't even caged, just roaming around...and the city wouldn't do anything until I basically harassed them several times. I ended up with a cat I couldn't afford (and I was allergic to) because they never got around to doing anything with it, and I couldn't just let it be neglected.

I gotta say, though, I live in Bentonville, AR now (which is a much wealthier town as a whole) and I see the same type of animal neglect that authorities will do nothing about. The difference, though, is that this town has money (plenty of incoming taxes) to protect it's animals, whereas, rural Kansas does not. We need to march the streets in protest, man.

The thing is, it isn't particularly against the law anywhere that I know of to leave your dogs outside in a small cage or on a chain and never interact with them as long as they are at least not starving, have water, and minimal shelter. We need stricter laws, but along with that we would need funding to do something with all the animals that people obviously don't know how to care properly for.

We probably need education campaigns as well. I honestly think that tons of people really don't think this is neglectful or wrong in any way because they just don't know any better.

[kc chris]

Are these bird dogs by chance? If so people have it in their minds this is how you treat bird dogs, no affection except for on the hunt, and keep them locked up so when you let them out they are ready to do their job, otherwise they will just be lazy pets instead of pointers.

I don't agree with it, but this is the mentality I see all over the place.

[soanchorless]

Some are bird dogs, but most are just "pets." I'm not sure what the point of a pet is if you never interact with it though.

I know what you're saying about the bird dogs, though. I've heard those "theories."

[itlltickleurinnerds]

You have described almost all of Kansas. Of all the states I have lived in this has to be one of the biggest armpit states. Its so sick. I was told in Wichita when I asked what there was to do " is there not enough shopping" Like shopping was all a person needed to enjoy life. LOL, I guess they have not heard of the beach, or mountains of which Kansas has neither. I was told but we have the flint hills. Which look like the land scape of post world war 1 scorched earth. LOL. Where the people come out and support the murder of Dr Tiller. The best sight I ever saw in Kansas was it in my rear view mirror as I left. I feel sorry for my family who stayed.

[soanchorless]

LOL! I don't disagree with much of what you said, but some parts of the Flint Hills really are pretty in their own way.

This is kind of random and maybe should be in it's own thread (?), but I was reading an old thread on here about a parent with a household income of $150-200K discussing how she felt her kids were pressured by the rich kids in Johnson County to buy $150 prom dresses and $50 express shirts. This kind of surprised me, because where I grew up in SE Kansas, NO ONE had a household income anywhere close to even $150K, yet it was socially unacceptable to not wear expensive designer clothes or spend hundreds of dollars on a prom dress. It strikes me that maybe our culture was way more materialistic than I thought if someone who actually is wealthy ($150K is three times the medium household income in the US!) thinks those things are expensive and unnecessary.

When I think of it though, when I first moved to SE Kansas from SE Arizona in 4th grade, I was really taken aback when people pointed out that something must be wrong with me because I was wearing clothes from Walmart. That was not even a topic of discussion amongst the elementary kids I went to school with in Arizona....and many of my peers in AZ were legitimately wealthy.