Thursday, August 01, 2002

CityBeat: Letters (2002-08-01)
This letter below is an example of what I think is a common attitude in liberal Cincinnati. However, the mainstream liberal no longer has a voice in this town, if it ever did.

Blacks Part of the Problem
The boycott organizers are killing our city. I've sat and thought on how to go about saying it and to whom, and it just comes down to that plain and simple truth.

I'm a college graduate and current graduate student; I believe in urban renewal and have lived in large cities that have learned how to live together. It's sad to see that this city with all its possible potential is in serious jeopardy of crumbling further.

I do realize that the history of this movement goes back to before Timothy Thomas' shooting and involves more than that incident. But my biggest concern with the boycotters' apparent position is that the city's problems are one of race -- at least that's the picture they've painted. The Black United Front (BUF) cries out from the oppression of the city's government and police force. The finger is always being pointed at others -- on both sides of the fence. That, to me, is the city's real current problem.

The BUF and other similar supporters cry foul at the other side while conveniently ignoring its own faults within its own communities or even go on to say that those very faults are a direct result from others' actions. It's a circular argument with no accountability -- there's a novel idea in today's society as a whole.

The people being "harassed" by law enforcement more often than not have every right to be under scrutiny. For every person wrongfully stopped or accosted by the police, there are at least 100 who go by unchecked. Is it fair to that one person who is honestly innocent? No. Is it unfortunate? Yes.

There is no "perfect" system anywhere. Should we strive to be better? Absolutely, but not at the sacrifice that's currently happening.

As an illustration of the fact that the members of the black community are part of the problem, I'd like to add some of my own experiences. Being a runner and living in the Clifton area, sometimes I like to run downtown in parts of Over-the-Rhine and Eden Park and areas like Mount Auburn and Walnut Hills. I get verbally accosted nearly every time, and a few times people have attempted to intimidate me through actions or vehicles.

My point is that many from the black community are as much a part of the problem, yet the media and organizers on both sides won't admit to it or bring it up. It needs to be recognized instead of this hypersensitive stranglehold that's currently happening in our city.


-- Mark Wagner, Clifton

No comments:

Post a Comment

Don't be an idiot or your comment will be deleted.