CLEVELAND (TDB) -- U.S. District Judge Dan A. Polster tossed out a lawsuit brought by the mother of a 20-year-old fatally shot by police after a car and foot chase last October. Carol Bell and the Cleveland NAACP branch sought legal standing to contend a deadly force reform agreement negotiated by city officials and the Justice Department in 2004 had been breached. Cincinnati is party to a similar deal with the Justice Department, which was signed after a police officer in April 2001 shot an unarmed black man who ran when faced with arrest on minor charges. The Cincinnati incident set off several days of racial unrest.
Cleveland's lawyers argued the lawsuit should be dismissed, and Polster issued his ruling today that agreed with the city.
Bell's son, Henry, died when he reportedly reached into his waistband after being cornered on foot after a car chase. The incident was a major news story last fall and reignited concerns within the black community that Cleveland officers were trigger happy. The Bell shooting was ruled justifiable.
Judge Polster said the Justice Department investigated Cleveland's use of deadly force policies starting in March 2002. The probe was focused on reported unconstitutional practices involving use of force. In March 2004, the investigation ended with an agreement requiring the city to enact reforms. Polster said the deal bound the city and the Justice Department, and that third parties such as Bell's mother and the NAACP had no standing to enforce its provisions.
"Thus, DOJ benefited by enforcing compliance with federal constitutional and statutory laws, while the city benefited by having the investigation closed and by ensuring that it would not be dragged into court based on its previous practices. an benefit flowing to the citizens of Cleveland was an incidental benefit at most. There is not mention of conferring a benefit on a third party."
Polster said his ruling does not leave Bell's mother and the NAACP totally without options.
"The court's decision does not mean, however, that plaintiffs are left without a remedy for their justifiable concerns. . . .Citizens can raise such concerns directly to the local government officials -- whether formally at City Council meetings or otherwise -- and, if they are still dissatisfied thereafter, they can seek alternate representation in the next election."
He said they can also ask the Justice Department to investigate suspected violations of federal law.
Showing posts with label NAACP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NAACP. Show all posts
Friday, August 24, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Cincy Enquirer Blasted For Poor Coverage Of Black Event: NAACP's Smitherman Demands Action
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Christopher Smitherman, a Green Party Cincinnati Council candidate and the local NAACP branch president, has accused the city's morning metro daily of "institutional racism at its core." He says the civil rights organization is prepared for some kind of showdown with the newspaper, a unit of the Gannett Co. Inc., publishing chain.
Smitherman expressed amazement that the Cincinnati Enquirer did not adequately cover, in his view, the Black Family Reunion. The annual summertime event on the banks of the Ohio River drew some 100,000 people downtown. Smitherman said if someone had been shot or harmed there would have been blazing coverage across news pages. But the mostly peaceful event got short shrift despite its importance to African Americans.
"I believe this is intentional and the result is the continuation of institutional racism at is core. If the Enquirer does not change they will force the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP to take measures to curb their behavior."
Does that last sentence imply a subscription boycott, or some kind of targeting of advertisers?
Smitherman's statement is just the latest signal that the newspaper is foundering under its top brass, who are increasingly viewed as out of touch, out of tune and have nearly exhausted the town's patience. The complete text of Smitherman's letter originally appeared in the Cincinnati Beacon, which is a small online and print news operation that is also among the daily's biggest critics.
[UPDATE -- There was coverage of the event, as this article from the past weekend shows. The complaint seems to be over whether the newspaper devoted enough attention and space to the Black Family Reunion.]
[Note to readers: The previous post was supposed to follow this one. The Bellwether will inactive for the rest of the day.]
Smitherman expressed amazement that the Cincinnati Enquirer did not adequately cover, in his view, the Black Family Reunion. The annual summertime event on the banks of the Ohio River drew some 100,000 people downtown. Smitherman said if someone had been shot or harmed there would have been blazing coverage across news pages. But the mostly peaceful event got short shrift despite its importance to African Americans.
"I believe this is intentional and the result is the continuation of institutional racism at is core. If the Enquirer does not change they will force the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP to take measures to curb their behavior."
Does that last sentence imply a subscription boycott, or some kind of targeting of advertisers?
Smitherman's statement is just the latest signal that the newspaper is foundering under its top brass, who are increasingly viewed as out of touch, out of tune and have nearly exhausted the town's patience. The complete text of Smitherman's letter originally appeared in the Cincinnati Beacon, which is a small online and print news operation that is also among the daily's biggest critics.
[UPDATE -- There was coverage of the event, as this article from the past weekend shows. The complaint seems to be over whether the newspaper devoted enough attention and space to the Black Family Reunion.]
[Note to readers: The previous post was supposed to follow this one. The Bellwether will inactive for the rest of the day.]
Monday, August 20, 2007
Cincinnati Enquirer: Once Again, It Gets Beaten Like An Old Piano's Keyboard
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- This story about U.S. Rep. John Conyers coming to a local NAACP dinner appeared in the Cincinnati Beacon Saturday. This announcement about the same event turned up on the Cincinnati Enquirer's political blog today. Two days later!!! In the news biz, if you snooze you lose. The morning metro daily appears to have been scooped again.
Monday, July 30, 2007
How Pure Are Ohio's Greens? Next Door In Pa. It's Been The Green-O-P
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Cincinnati NAACP president Chris Smitherman has stirred up a firestorm with his plans to run for a City Council seat on the Green Party ticket. All of the debate has focused on whether or not he has a conflict with the NAACP, which tends to discourage local chapter leaders from running for elective offices.
But there has not been much aired about efforts in Pennsylvania to use the Green Party as a front. There have been hijack attempts by Republicans, a tactic designed to siphon progressive votes away from Democrats. Some Greens clearly are concerned that anybody who shows up is welcome. And they are not exactly enthused about poseurs financing and entering their party. Last year, there was an uproar when a when the Green Party's U.S. Senate candidate in the contest involving Rick Santorum's reelection bid wound up being funded by Santorum's backers. Nearly all the money for Green Party nominee Carl Romanelli came from GOP sources -- almost turning it into the Green-Old-Party.
This month, another GOP official in Pennsylvania briefly declared himself a Green. Again, it looked like a strategic move rather than a true political conversion.
Some Greens have argued that their party is the victim of both the major parties. However, they also contend the party has opened itself to abuse by outside political operatives and people who just show up and declare themselves true-blue Greens.
"Part of the reason for its bad decision is that the GP or PA is part of the GPUS. GPUS models itself on the corporate parties by refusing to have a defined membership. Since it does not base itself on a dues paid membership, GPUS must look to other sources . . .
"Not all Green Party activists accept the corporate structure of GPUS and the GP of PA. The original Green Party, the GPUSA, is based on a dues-paying membership. It is this defined membership, not anyone who shows up, who makes policy, including what money to accept and from where. GPUSA has never knowingly accepted money."
But there has not been much aired about efforts in Pennsylvania to use the Green Party as a front. There have been hijack attempts by Republicans, a tactic designed to siphon progressive votes away from Democrats. Some Greens clearly are concerned that anybody who shows up is welcome. And they are not exactly enthused about poseurs financing and entering their party. Last year, there was an uproar when a when the Green Party's U.S. Senate candidate in the contest involving Rick Santorum's reelection bid wound up being funded by Santorum's backers. Nearly all the money for Green Party nominee Carl Romanelli came from GOP sources -- almost turning it into the Green-Old-Party.
This month, another GOP official in Pennsylvania briefly declared himself a Green. Again, it looked like a strategic move rather than a true political conversion.
Some Greens have argued that their party is the victim of both the major parties. However, they also contend the party has opened itself to abuse by outside political operatives and people who just show up and declare themselves true-blue Greens.
"Part of the reason for its bad decision is that the GP or PA is part of the GPUS. GPUS models itself on the corporate parties by refusing to have a defined membership. Since it does not base itself on a dues paid membership, GPUS must look to other sources . . .
"Not all Green Party activists accept the corporate structure of GPUS and the GP of PA. The original Green Party, the GPUSA, is based on a dues-paying membership. It is this defined membership, not anyone who shows up, who makes policy, including what money to accept and from where. GPUSA has never knowingly accepted money."
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
On Ohio's Plunderbund: The N-Word Gets Used, NAACP Gets Ripped
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Why would anybody want to use the N-word, to write it or say it? An Ohio blog, Plunderbund, has taken issue with the NAACP's burying the N-Word protest in Detroit. Plunderbund called it "cheesy," which is one way of describing an event designed, scripted and intended to have a cultural impact.
Under the Plunderbund standard, one supposes, Gandhi's and MLK's actions that argued for the dignity of mankind were just another slice of Roquefort.
[UPDATE: 7:57 PM EDT: There's another apparition of the N-word on the always provocative Cincinnati Black Blog, where it manifests itself as a five-letter variant. This time it appears under a caption referring to Ohio State Sen. Eric Kearney, D-9, a lawmaker who is described as wondering about the sanity of Christoper Smitherman, the Cincinnati NAACP chapter president. Yes, it is down to five letters, hopefully a portent it has shriveled and may leave all of us refreshingly free of old stereotypes.]
But was Plunderbund guilty of cheese-manufacturing itself? Did it have to use the hateful six-letter slur to try and make its point -- that it is probably futile to try to drive a fetid racist expression out of the English language for all time. Did it use the malodorous N-word merely to attract attention?
The N-word is supposed to denigrate the person at which it is aimed. But its force for evil is such that it also lowers to the gutter the utterer. Plunderbund is a great blog -- and the opinions expressed therein have a record of being progressive and powerful. But Plunderbund, please stay away from the N-word. Don't use it. Don't write it. Please don't allow it ever again to creep into your mind and intrude upon your mental processes.
Remember always: The N-word is dead and gone. This time the NAACP got it right and you got it wrong.
Under the Plunderbund standard, one supposes, Gandhi's and MLK's actions that argued for the dignity of mankind were just another slice of Roquefort.
[UPDATE: 7:57 PM EDT: There's another apparition of the N-word on the always provocative Cincinnati Black Blog, where it manifests itself as a five-letter variant. This time it appears under a caption referring to Ohio State Sen. Eric Kearney, D-9, a lawmaker who is described as wondering about the sanity of Christoper Smitherman, the Cincinnati NAACP chapter president. Yes, it is down to five letters, hopefully a portent it has shriveled and may leave all of us refreshingly free of old stereotypes.]
But was Plunderbund guilty of cheese-manufacturing itself? Did it have to use the hateful six-letter slur to try and make its point -- that it is probably futile to try to drive a fetid racist expression out of the English language for all time. Did it use the malodorous N-word merely to attract attention?
The N-word is supposed to denigrate the person at which it is aimed. But its force for evil is such that it also lowers to the gutter the utterer. Plunderbund is a great blog -- and the opinions expressed therein have a record of being progressive and powerful. But Plunderbund, please stay away from the N-word. Don't use it. Don't write it. Please don't allow it ever again to creep into your mind and intrude upon your mental processes.
Remember always: The N-word is dead and gone. This time the NAACP got it right and you got it wrong.
Monday, July 09, 2007
The N-Word Is Interred: Here's Hoping It Never Haunts
DETROIT (TDB)-- Of course, it was a publicity stunt. But the NAACP said good riddance to the N-word at a staged funeral during its national convention in the Motor City today. Here's hoping the vile racial slur never returns to haunt the English language, and a stake has been pounded into the its six vowels and consonants.
NAACP Chief Operating Officer Nelson B. Rivers III said the funeral was planned to send a message that neither whites nor blacks should use the N-word.
"The N-word is the most vicious of all racial insults and the most well known example of racist language and self-hatred by African Americans. The NAACP believes the time has come to celebrate the end of its wretched, destructive life. There is international interest in this powerful and symbolic action and we are calling on others to march with us against this word that hurts and diminishes us everyday."
NAACP officials pointed out that C. Delores Tucker, a trustee of the organization, led marches and sued to challenge sexually explicit lyrics in rap music during the 1990s. She said the words were anti-female, or misogynistic, and threatened to undermine the black society moral foundations.
Staging a burial that would put the N-word six feet under in Ohio would be a nice symbolic act. State officials should consider organizing such an event. Gov. Ted Strickland could throw the first shovelful of dirt. The NAACP's presser talks about the organization's battle against the N-word.
NAACP Chief Operating Officer Nelson B. Rivers III said the funeral was planned to send a message that neither whites nor blacks should use the N-word.
"The N-word is the most vicious of all racial insults and the most well known example of racist language and self-hatred by African Americans. The NAACP believes the time has come to celebrate the end of its wretched, destructive life. There is international interest in this powerful and symbolic action and we are calling on others to march with us against this word that hurts and diminishes us everyday."
NAACP officials pointed out that C. Delores Tucker, a trustee of the organization, led marches and sued to challenge sexually explicit lyrics in rap music during the 1990s. She said the words were anti-female, or misogynistic, and threatened to undermine the black society moral foundations.
Staging a burial that would put the N-word six feet under in Ohio would be a nice symbolic act. State officials should consider organizing such an event. Gov. Ted Strickland could throw the first shovelful of dirt. The NAACP's presser talks about the organization's battle against the N-word.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Ohio NAACP Ruckus: Singer Justin Jeffre Jostled In Cincinnati
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Cincinnati NAACP branch has been percolating with dissent since last year's disputed election for the chapter presidency, and today there are reports police were called to smooth emotions during a chaotic meeting. Singer Nick Lachey's former boyband-mate Justin Jeffre got caught up in some ugliness while attending as a new NAACP member.
Jeffre is working to build a political career after his stint in the band 98 Degrees brought a modicum of fame. His unsuccessful run for Cincinnati mayor in 2005 was followed by the national media, including MTV.
Meanwhile, will discord at the Cincinnati branch end up discouraging the national NAACP from holding its 2008 convention in Cincinnati? Up to 5,000 delegates are expected next year. The economic impact should be huge -- 11,575 hotel room nights will be booked. And the gathering of a national civil rights group in an Ohio city with a rocky history of race relations could add some luster to Cincinnati's tarnished reputation.
Jeffre recently filed a blog post about what he witnessed last night at the local NAACP meeting. He characterized the event as plagued with assault and chaos.
Jeffre is working to build a political career after his stint in the band 98 Degrees brought a modicum of fame. His unsuccessful run for Cincinnati mayor in 2005 was followed by the national media, including MTV.
Meanwhile, will discord at the Cincinnati branch end up discouraging the national NAACP from holding its 2008 convention in Cincinnati? Up to 5,000 delegates are expected next year. The economic impact should be huge -- 11,575 hotel room nights will be booked. And the gathering of a national civil rights group in an Ohio city with a rocky history of race relations could add some luster to Cincinnati's tarnished reputation.
Jeffre recently filed a blog post about what he witnessed last night at the local NAACP meeting. He characterized the event as plagued with assault and chaos.
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