Personally, I'm praying for rain.
You read that wrong. He didn't demand the Cinci Police to "offer no protection for the Nazi's march."
He said it should not be done at the taxpayers expense. Just like we now need liability insurance to have an event on the square, the city could grant their march but because of anticipated disruptions force the Nazis to pay for off duty cops.
Smitherman doesn't understand the first thing about representing his organization in a professional manner. You notice that when he referred to black people, he capitalized the word, but when he referred to white people he kept it in lower-case. That may be fine if writing for Nate Livingston's blog, but it's inappropriate when representing a civil rights organization. Smitherman makes it real easy for everyone to recognize him as a racist.
As I see it the local NAACP needs to make two immediate changes:
1. Find a new President, one who isn't a racist.
2. Get some professional looking letterhead.
For him to blame the County Commissioners, who have nothing at all to do with the issue (they don't issue permits), is absurd.
Free speech is free speech is free speech. I hate Nazi groups. I hate any racist, anti-semitic group. As a Jew, I really hate Nazi groups. But we just have to suck it up and let them spew their vitriol. It takes two to fight. If one walks away, there can be no fight. The answer to base speech is good speech in the public forum.
I am extremely disappointed in Mr. Smitherman.
I didn't vote for Smitherman the first time, nor did I give him consideration the last time. I viewed him to be an anti-white problem maker.
I also noticed he failed to acknowledge the millions of Jewish people who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis. In addition, he failed to include gay people, Roma, the elderly, the handicapped, even Christians who refused to support such a terroristic dictatorship. So many countless lives were put to death. We'll never know how many or who they were & what they stood for. For Smitherman to gloss this over & put a race-specific spin on that era of history, is unforgiveable.
But you know Smitherman. No one else has suffered. No other group but black people.
I do not & will not support any hate-filled group of people. Never. I don't care what color & belief they are. You see, my Great-Grandmother wasn't Jewish, but she perished in a death oven in a remote part of Austria. All I have from that part of my heritage are pictures & some items that belonged to Great-Grandmother. It's things such as this that keep me strong & living my culture & customs.
One thing we have to remember is that there is such a thing as freedom of assembly. Right or wrong, there is that freedom, regardless of color, belief & agenda.
Instead of giving these Nazi clowns any dignification, I, along with friends & family, have decided to do a Cincinnati Prayer Day. Perhaps other people could develop a a plan for engaging in something positive & enriching the day these thugs march into the city.
Unfortunately, Smitherman sounds just like Adolf Hitler, and he's only going to get worse. May the heavens help us all!
No one likes nazi's expect for nazi's.
There is no reason to give them any attention or coverage, and for Mr. Smitherman to add fuel to this fire is ridiculous.
If no one from here went to their white trash... errr I mean white power rally. They would never come back again. But Mr. Smitherman and others are using this rally for their own advantage. Do you think they are not getting something out of this as well?
Everyone hates nazi's, but not everyone goes to the "front lines" of these rallies for a photo opportunity.
To suggest no police presence for this event in a city still recovering from racial riots is not only irresponsible but reckless.
These morons may deserve to have some sense knocked into them, but it is not Mr. Smithermans place to recommend the punishment of no protection for them.
If Mr. Smitherman really cares about wasted tax dollars, why doesn't he use his status as president of the NAACP to go after the wastes and wrongs of 3CDC?
Can someone neutrally explain why they get free police protection? I don't when I go around town. I seriously do not understand it. In law, the police have no duty to respond or protect which is why you can't sue them if they don't show up in time and a murderer gets you. So I don't get it. Additionally, our laws do not require one person to help another. I normally agree with Brian, but I think he is putting too much on the police.
CincyJEff;s buddies are CHabot and Heimlich. he is obviously a civil rights know it all. Listen to Cincyjeff. he is smart. he is white.
Brian-
One of your best posts. I, on a previous thread, essentially admitted that I wouldn't mind seeing this "rally" end badly for the Nazis. However, I'm just a young 20-something crumudgeon-not a public official or representative of a prestigious (like it or not) organization. If I were in some position of responsiblity I would not dare say the same words (and perhaps in the rare chance that I did-I'd at least try to be coherent).
BAM,
I think it is the duty of the police to be there in a potential volatile situation. Just like they are going to patrol on Main Street, outside Mt. Adams, etc on a Friday or Saturday night. Call it "smart" or "preemptive" policing. This wouldn't be the only example-no matter how icky it sounds.
- Sean did you miss my point about him asking that it not happen at Taxpayers expense. Show me where he said there should be "no police protection."
- If they were planning to walk in Roselawn I would wonder why his comments didn't include Jews along with African Americans. But they are marching in OTR. While I am sure there are several Jewish people there they aren't the target of THIS march.
- To all those who say ignore them or have a prayer day, while I understand your sentiment it is actually wrong. We can't sit and hide our heads when racism rears up. Then it doesn't go away, we end up empowering them to do more. There were plenty of people (jews included) who thought keeping their mouth shut during the Holocaust, even though they knew it was wrong, was the right thing to do. Not saying to or wanting to resort to violence but a strong, vocal presence is necessary to put these rats back in their hole.
Maybe we can have the nazis take a boat ride under one of our bridges and schedule the Dave Matthews Band tour bus to drive across the bridge as the boat passes underneath.
I kinda have to agree with Smitherman. A nazi group marching in O-T-R is doing so to incite something and therefore should not be given police protection. I dont think they should be given a permit. I am all for free speech but it can be done so without provoking people so blatently. This is a clear act of aggression to be marching down the street standing only feet from people's homes and spewing such hatred.
Are the organizers even residents of the City? If not they have no business here, let them behave in this manner in their neighborhoods and keep it out of mine.
I would suggest waging some sort of silent protest like encouraging people to place somethng symbolic in their windows along the route so the marchers cant ignore the response but it keeps people away so they dont have to hear it or see it.
There is a big difference between nazi Germany where the Government was tied to the Nationalist Socialist party on a deep deep level, and present day Cincinnati where a bunch of imbred morons want to walk three blocks and spew hatred because their mommies didn't love them enough.
I understand that we can't ignore hatred totally, but thanks to the digital age we can also deal with it in a manner that avoids physical confrontation of any type.
These assholes filled out the paper work, and under the constitution they do have the right to assembly. Since they filed the correct paperwork and have agreed to follow certain guidelines they do also have the right to police protection according to the City of Cincinnati, Mr. Smitherman knows this, and unless he has a plan to change city procedure within a few days times, then his letter is nothing more than a way to get some press for himself.
I don't want my tax dollars paying for this B.S either, but that is the price we pay for living in a free society.
I believe that certain people are using this redneck parade to get their own face out and some press. Does the NAACP president really need to issue a statement against this rally to let us know that the NAACP doesn't like nazi's. I think we all know by now that the NAACP doesn't like nazi's, hell 99.9% of the world doesn't like nazi's/skinheads/white supremicists/whatever they hell they are.
I do agree with Mr. Smitherman that out of respect to not only the black residents of the city, but to all residents of the city, that the Council and Mayor should pass a resolution in disagreement with this March. We shouldn't stop their right to free speech and assembly, but there are civil ways to show our lack of respect for their message.
at least we got to throw Smitherman out on his sorry behind after 2 years- how long is his term as the NAACP Pres.?
I've heard he may run for council- remember when he dragged his raggedy kids into City Hall to say they wouldn't want to be Tazed? Shameless grandstander-
Hopefully, someone can clarify this, as I'm not sure I picked this up correctly - did Smitherman announce today on one of the news stations that he's assembling the NAACP for a "peaceful demonstration" while the rednecks stroll thru the neighborhood?
I'm sure I've misunderstood the news story. Nothing Smitherman does is peaceful. It's always loudmouthed, in your face, psycho rhetoric.
And no, Smitherman isn't going to waste taxpayer dollars for police protection for a "peaceful" counter-demonstration.
Sieg Heil! Seig Heil! Heil Smitherman! (Give him a swastika & white sheet & he'll be just like the rest of the racial agitators.)
Listen to Cincyjeff. he is smart. he is white.
It works for David Pepper....
Smitherman is a nappy headed ho.
Wasn't I reading that not all speech is protected? Weren't "fighting words" one of those categories? As much as it pains me to admit it, I think that Council may be doing the right thing by their recent action to put different standards (payment for police overtime, etc.) on that type of crap.
This was from today's Enquirer: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pb...0418/1056/
COL02
Does he coo seductively and duck underwater around sunset?
Chris Smitherman has demanded the Cincinnati Police Department offer no protection for the Nazi's march. Smitherman is clearly opening the door for a situation where human beings could be beaten or even killed on the streets of Cincinnati.
*******
As a black woman I don't like Smitherman and I sure as hell don't like Nazi's. OK, we're on one accord.
But then we come to this part: Smitherman is clearly opening the door for a situation where human beings could be beaten or even killed on the streets of Cincinnati.
My response: And? What else is new.
CPD has been beating and killing human beings on the streets of Cincinnati for decades. Their little work slow down is actually SAVING black lives. The less they go running through back alleys with guns drawn, the safer we all are.
If some Nazis want to march through OTR let 'em. Redeploy the police to Indian Hill or Hyde Park to find a meth lab or two that day and let the black folks deal with the Nazis.
Why should they get a free pass? Because they're white? Nah, let 'em get their white Nazi asses whipped and let the police allow it to happen.
It's win win for everyone. The gang bangers will have something useful to do. They'll respect CPD for backing off and maybe they won't have so much beef between them. CPD gets mad props for letting black folks handle their own business.
And the Nazi's get a Good Old Fashioned American Beat Down.
How is this a bad plan? Or you could get City Council and the County Commission to stop this mess altogether.
"It works for David Pepper...."
CincyJeff, David Pepper worked that dumb and wimpy Phil Heimlich.
One Black Woman,
This is a public service annoucement from the sane people of Cincinnati. You are psyco. This concludes our broadcast.
Nathan,
As usual, BAM is right about the law.
Make that psycho, my bad.
Again, I'll (groundlessly) reiterate that the "ignore them" tactic has never historically succeeded-- cut me some slack, I'm building a theatre. Acting like hatred can't organise itself is PRECISELY how institutional bigotry comes to be.
The City oughtta go ahead and fight this battle. There's no fucking freedom to opine that somebody should be oppressed or killed, and (Bob), you're either intellectually dishonest or fucking retarded if you plead that case.
What Brian's kind of missing is that this is a "parade" (note how it rhymes with charade). The fact that they were issued the permit is absolute bullshit; whatever means are necessary to get it revoked is sufficient.
Seriously, though, I just repaired my storefront. If these Nazi morons fuck it up--seriously, hell to pay.
Can I be of any assistance?
I will agree wtih Luke, why they were issued a parade permit should be investigated.
I must be missing something. I have been told that hate is wrong. When did it become ok to hate again?
300 Years of Slavery American style
followed by 100 Years of government institutional racism
40 years to get the government to do the right thing after the law is changed once again
only if you are a Native American can you say anything on the issue as it referees to the condition of the unique American program that breed strong African men whose job was to work to death and breed more property (children) and whose death sentence was learning to read a book and talk of freedom
Brian, are you for real dude? Read that thing again. If they want to demonstrate, it's their right, I guess (I really don't know if organizations that we've fought previous wars against count.) Taxpayers shouldn't foot the bill for their security. They have self proclaimed themselves in alliance with the Nazi party, they can provide their own security. This is one of the rare cases when I think mob justice is appropriate, should be recorded, and sold on pay per view.
I feel less intelligent for reading your post today, but I took the bait didn't I?
Oh yeah, spell check is free man.
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