A long time ago Fitchburg was a manufacturing hub. The Italian and French communities here came for the jobs in the mills and the factories.
Today not so much is made in Fitchburg anymore (Although the Hersey Custom Shoe Company does make shoes here) however we have become a hub for two things in the area…drugs and the social services that the drug trade brings.
People don’t like to talk about this. It has happened pretty fast 1 to 1 1/2 generations. It makes it pretty hard to attract business when you have these social problems on your plate.
Which brings us to Planned Parenthood…
…maybe it’s because I’m just too sheltered but when I mentioned it casually to someone he talked about what he seen in Worcester for years.
In his experience the birth control pills and condoms distributed do not solely end up in the hands of the people who get them. They get re-sold. There are plenty of kids who don’t want to be seen going into Planned Parenthood, those kids will pay a premium for what Planned Parenthood offers.
The person who gets this stuff is going to make some good money, that can be spent on everything from shoes to drugs. She also gains status among her peers. She become the “cool” kid.
I have to confess I felt like an idiot when I was told this story. It never occurred to me, that’s embarrassing. He wasn’t surprised: “The obvious never occurs to people.”
What will be end result be? Another layer made between kids and their parents. If you think that the teenage girl who gets her pills from PP might not take them as given, how much less will the teenage girl who gets her pills from another teenage girl or from her boyfriend buying them from another teen.
And remember it’s not like someone stealing your prescription that you might notice. This will all be done under the cloak of anonymity to protect your child from your opprobrium.
There are some on the city counsel who argue that we should welcome any business that comes to Fitchburg and contributes to our economy. They just might not be aware that the economy they stimulate is an underground one.
