News-Record.com

You mean black politicians in our community are trying to raise a racial-black/white issue about something involving City Council members??
Oh, my...say it ain't so!

The race card will be played as long as it

a); Keeps people in power
b) Get's them paid.
c: Is accepted as just collateral damage of business as usual in Guilford Co. by the rest of the political establishment, our press, and businessmen who would do business here.

End of Story.

Doug,

If you add up all the times Greensboro's leadership insisted that a particular issue was not about race, I think you'd be talking about hundreds of issues. Certainly scores in the last five years along.

Race is in the forefront of all of our minds more than almost any other. Any time says it's not about race, they're denying that pretty much any issue in a community that's as even split as ours is, they're just absolutely wrong.

Considering Greensboro's history over the past 50 years, it's hard to think of a single issue that doesn't have a significant racial component. It's time to start facing that forthrightly.

The Pulpit Forum has sunk to a new low with this one. Doug, the N&R shouldn't let them off the hook.

Calling someone a racist is a serious charge and if you do it, you darn well better have some evidence to back it up. In our society, there's not much worse you can say about someone than to call them a racist. You're better off being accused of a crime in some cases.

So the Pulpit Forum, with no evidence, drops the racism bomb on Ms. Gatten. I have no problem if they want to defend DBS, but calling Gatten a racist is entirely beyond the pale.

And these guys are supposed to be ministers?!?

Race does seem to be at the forefront, whether it belongs there or not. When will Gso ever get past that?

Calling someone a racist is very serious, and in this case it seems intended to curtail Gatten's possible run for mayor. She's warned what kind of opposition she'll face.

I am so tired of this $^%#. DBS actions are indefensible. She is a total jackass. Yet The Pulpit Forum decides to back her therby proving what most folks believed anyway. It is all about BLACK and nothing else. "Fairness, Equality, Level playing fields" all BS.

This town needs a leader. "Mr Rogers" tenure needs to be over. Someone step up. I dont think Florence can do it. She seems to have a personality that just pisses people off.

She was right this time though. Too bad "Mr Rogers" didnt have the balls to step up.

Let me get this right. DBS filed a complaint against the officer that pulled her over but didn't cite her?

That alone is grounds for dismissal from the council DUE TO COMPLETE INSANITY.

Boy, I'd want her in our corner when she is meeting with business leaders who want to do business here.

She might tell them to take their business someplace else or something.

Mick, do you have anyone in mind?

Savage, I also thought it was odd for her to file a complaint. But maybe the officer wasn't respectful enough or failed to apologize for stopping her.

Not as of yet. I have always liked Y Johnson. People I know and respect, know and work with her and have always had good things to say. She seems level headed at all times. But her silence on this issue/non-issue bothers me somewhat. I was not a big fan of the TRC either.

Also, so many things around city hall smell so badly these days I dont know if an insider can garner my support. The smell goes all the way back to Rev Michael King and his fall.

King, Wray, TRC, DBS, RMA, the leak, etc all just stink. Its been a bad run. Throw in the lackluster support to downright opposition to my personal pet project (a competitive swim facility) and I am just fed up with the lot of em.

I believe DBS filed the complaint to bolster her claims of DWB. If she didnt file the complaint it would look like too much like she did what she actually did ... which was pull rank to get out of a ticket.

DBS,
Just admit you were wrong, pay the effn fine and move on. And while you are at it... admit you were in on "the leak". Show some honesty, integrity and respect. If you have forgotten what those terms actually mean just get out a dictionary. Its pretty clear.

Anybody checked out the thread on WFMY site. She has a faxed response in there. Typical BS BS. Note is says nothing about bullying her way out of the ticket.

"Calling someone a racist is a serious charge and if you do it, you darn well better have some evidence to back it up."

Just saying, I'm having a hard time imagining how you could "prove" that someone is a racist. What type of evidence would you want to see that would convince you?

Mick, TDBS could have defused the latest incident as you suggest: by simply saying she was sorry if the officer thought she was bullying him; she didn't mean to; she respects the police; she'll drive more carefully in the future.

Just saying, I'm having a hard time imagining how you could "prove" that someone is a racist. What type of evidence would you want to see that would convince you?

***************

Simple - through some type of behavior that justifies that type of accusation. For example, discriminatory actions or prejudicial words against a racial group.

If someone calls Kramer a racist after his on-stage tirade a few weeks back, I don't have a problem with that at all. Same with Deena Hayes and her "slaves and slavemasters" comment. But Ms. Gatten did nothing of the sort - she never brought race into this.

Let me ask you (and anyone else taking DBS's side) a question: what has Ms. Gatten done to be considered a racist? Is merely questioning an elected official who happens to be a minority now considered racist behavior?

You're all missing the point.

DBS filed the complaint against the officer, even though he let her off, because of her own sense of integrity and propriety. She knows if she was just another person of color this obviously racially-biased policeman would have booked her, but because she is a famous personage-he let her off.

In order to stand up for the people, she has an obligation to protest.

Ya'll should be praising her, all you racist and other fascist scumbags out there, instead of tearing her down.

not tearing her down.

What would be wrong with giving someone a ticket for driving 50 in a 35?

What DBS is implying is that the officer should have booked her and he is derelict and biased because he didn't.

Is this not obvious, Mr. Clark?

It's also so obvious that you are a smug, white priviledged Ba#$%&d!

I think you're only half right, at best.

And, if you're going to call me a B------d, you don't have to use Mr.

Everybody knows, Florence Gatten was in on this from the beginning. She had the officer in question set up a speed trap especially to catch DBS.

We know the score.

Sorry, I was slow to get it. I'm with you now.

It's beyond odd that you would assume I'm taking anyone's side, especially DBS's. I was, literally, just asking you a question (which you answered and I appreciate.)

I wasn't opining that anyone is or isn't a racist. I was just wondering what we could call evidence for such. In the US, it's not only generally unacceptable, but also at times illegal to discriminate based on race. My thought is that those who have racist thoughts or feelings would go to great lengths to make sure they didn't look and sound that way, lest they be called out.

I don't think we could pin a tail on a racist even if 99% of us agreed that they were acting in seemingly racist ways. Everyone denies being racist, and it's hard to provide evidence that they secretly harbor feelings otherwise. We can point to behavior, but I think that makes the behavior racist, rather than the person (who can, when it's pointed out to them, choose cheerfully to change that behavior.)

It's similar to the "I hate gays" controversy of a month or so ago. When called a homophobe, of course he's going to say, "I didn't mean it." Is he a homophobe? How in the world would I know one way or the other? What would I need for "evidence", short of membership in an anti-gay organization?

Similarly, I think it's dangerous that we would require hoods and robes and burning crosses before we can acknowledge the existence of racism.

Greensboro has coined a new word for what happened to Ms. Gatten. It's called getting "Wrayed". and, it's not the ast time it's going to happen to others in this fair city. Now, tha they that it works, it'll come out every time there is an issue or challenge. Deena Hayes actually perfected this technique long ago.

P.S. Can there be any doubt having seen this DBS escapade, that the same thing happened to Wray. Unfortunately, the city manager and city council allowed and enabled it.

Similarly, I think it's dangerous that we would require hoods and robes and burning crosses before we can acknowledge the existence of racism.

***********

I completely agree that real racism exists in this world and should be dealt with, hoods and robes or not. I just don't see any evidence that Florence Gatten is guilty of racist behavior.

Instead, it seems that DBS's supporters are using the term "racist" as a smear tactic against Ms. Gatten, rather than address the quite valid points she made in her press conference.

Stormy, I'm agree with you - the same thing appears to have happened to Chief Wray.

I don't usually go on these here blogs, but I can't believe this Small lady. The last time I got pulled over for speeding and the cop let me off I had to. Well I'm not going to say what I had to do, because it was kind of disgusting even if he was kind of cute. But here she gets off and she didn't have to do what I had to do. And she still filed a complain.

No Pulpits or anyone said nuthin then.

Maybe we all should just pray for peace in this town. This week's events warn that we're heading for anything but.*Doug

Naw! After reading the headlines " Battle Lines" this affair is about as funny as the recent battle that a line was drawn in front McDonalds today.

Shortest invasion in history by the Swiss Army? Ruthless warfare at McDonalds!
02 March 2007

Those....Those Swiss! I thought they were neutral....
Swiss troops, who had no ammunition, invade Lichtenstein, which has no army.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- What began as a routine training exercise almost ended in an embarrassing diplomatic incident after a company of Swiss soldiers got lost at night and marched into neighboring Liechtenstein.

According to Swiss daily Blick, the 170 infantry soldiers wandered 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across an unmarked border into the tiny principality early Thursday before realizing their mistake and turning back.

A spokesman for the Swiss army confirmed the story but said that there were unlikely to be any serious repercussions for the mistaken invasion. He also said that the unit stop at a Liechtenstein McDonalds and order 170 sauage and Mc Swiss Cheese egg muffin with large to go McCoffee. The owner of the Liechtenstein's Mc Donalds said they arrived at 4 AM and crash though the front door and wrestled down the Dumny McDonald Clown and than carry the dummy to the freezer section to get him to talk while under arrest. The owner claims they left a promisary note on the Swiss government for the cost of the meals and coffee with a disclaimer on the note that they were not libel for the dummy and his refusable to reveal spies along with the real secret behind the Swiss Army knife within the Swiss government.

''We've spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it's not a problem, in fact, all ten of it's citizens said they would not launch the recent nukes they had purchase from North Korea'' Daniel Reist told The Associated Press.

Speaking of Wray, I understand that there has been a multi-jurisdicton bust in Greensboro, and one Mrs. Beverly Hinson is likely to be charged in the matter. Now, this is getting reeeaaaly interesting.

If that's true, Stormy, you can expect the N&R to run front page articles about:
(1) how the "Secret Police" targeted Ms. Hinson
(2) it's all a white-power conspiracy
(3)it's retribution for Dianne Bellamy-Small complaining
(4) we need a truth-n-reconcilition group to look into it.