Posted on Fri, 05/16/2008 - 12:40 — by MICKM
"Rather than welcoming people of all races into the community," said the NAACP's letter, "current CAT practices have made many African-American families feel unwelcome and unsafe."
Here we go again. How can the NAACP be so out of touch with reality? The apologists and enablers are at it again. They will attempt once again to make unacceptable behavior acceptable.
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2285
Report BazookaJoe
Well, maybe they just need clarification on what is unacceptible behavior because everybody argues about what is and what isn't when it comes to trash cans left out and loud stereo music. Nobody should feel unwelcomed because of it. This is different than the lawsuits filed by the Legal Aid. If the NAACP can work it out through open discussions it's a lot better way to go than filing lawsuits. Let's hope they can come to some kind of understanding that satisfies the folks concerned about thiese issues, as well as the folks concerned about curbing crime. Nobody wants to see it lead to lawsuits.
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1597
Report stoney4
"Issues like this should not involve the police departrment in the first place." the letter said.
Wouldn't it be nice if there weren't any ISSUES in the first place? All it takes is a little consideration for your neighbors and there wouldn't be. I'm guessing a lot of people tried to handle it on their own in a civil manner like I did a few times and were either flipped off, verbally threatened or in the case of loud music, they crank it up louder. That's when the last resort is to get the police involved.
If they need any input as to what should or shouldn't be acceptable as far as music volume is concerned, I'm available.
Joined: May 2008
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Report MICKM
I doubt anyone who really knows what is going on in Antioch would claim that trash cans and a little loud music is the problem.
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1597
Report stoney4
Sure, there are more serious problems. But try living next to a house that plays loud music into the wee hours of the morning when you need to get up at 4:00AM. On a regular basis. Or when you do get home from work and might need some rest, the cars with the loud subwoofers drive by and literally shake the house, wakeing you up. Or their pit bull is barking at all hours and breaking through the back yard fence into your yard.
It's all relative. Don't give short shrift to these kinds of issues unless you've dealt with it first hand day after day. Kind of affects your health and well being after a while.
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4
Report MICKM
I know about the dog thing. I had to go to court over a landlord and his tenet's 2 dogs barking. I walk my dog through the neighborhoods of Antioch everyday. I would be a happy camper if Antioch was just a case of barking dogs and trash cans. I don't believe that is the main issue the article was referring to. The article is about the NAACP contending that the police are hounding black families because they are black and on public assistance. In my opinion the NAACP and the organization suing Antioch are apologists and enablers. They don't seem capable of recognizing and addressing the real problems.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2285
Report BazookaJoe
They say they feel unsafe because of the actions of the CAT team. A lot of folks on the other hand, say they feel safer because of the actions of the CAT team. If the crime and neighborhood disputes weren't so high, there wouldn't be any need for a CAT team. Hopefully people can all agree the CAT team is necessary. I don't see how anybody can deny that. You just hope they can show them to their satisfaction that the CAT team treats everybody equally. Then the city can just go about their business dealing with crime and making the city safer for everyone.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 659
Report cowboy1539
You can only hope that they come into the meeting with an open mind. If you read the "report" by the civil rights group you know that they wrote the report to fit their preconceived ideas.
That's just my opinion, but I could be Wrong.
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 291
Report backrow
...You're not wrong. How does the NAACP get such status to 'negotiate with officials'. The Rotarians, the Boy Scouts, the Knights of Columbus wouldn't get that kind of kid glove entre' And they are much more representative & less of top-down organizations.
Choose which statements are vastly more accurate.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2285
Report BazookaJoe
It depends what role the NAACP takes on. If they are a liason for the group with the gripes, and they play the role of mediator, they might be able to do some good and help get everyone on the same page. If there wasn't a NAACP, you could bet they would go straight to the ACLU, or that Bay Area Legal Aid and that would be worse. Who knows, maybe they did that too and the NAACP is trying to step in so it doesn't become a bigger mess for the City.
A NAACP official recently made public comments in support of the police chief, so that makes me think, hope, that they can be an advocate for both sides. After all, they live in the community too and I find it hard to believe they would have any destructive intentions. If people are reasonable, they should be able to come to a mutually agreeable solution. Actually, because there is a NAACP that serves as part of the checks and balances, the fact they made comments recently supporting the police department's efforts and the fact Chief Hyde immediately responded to their letter outlining their concerns, makes me think those folks that filed the lawsuit with the Legal Aid suing the City must be unreasonable. Why couldn't they work it out without suing?
The Mayor responded by saying they welcome discussions about the items in the NAACP letter. If you know Chief Hyde, he is always willing to listen and he's a big proponent of proactive measures which I'm sure includes better understanding and communication among all groups or individuals in the City. If people have problems communicating and they use the NAACP, then there shouldn't be any problem because that's something the NAACP can help with.
I still use my simple litmus test, are they bringing people together, or are they dividing them further apart? If the NAACP can help get these folk's issues addressed without lawsuits or street justice taking place, then they are a beneficial organization that is helping. It's unfortunate, but these folks already feel detached from the community and the City's efforts to clean up blight and decrease crime, so maybe the NAACP help bring a better understanding among their group and get them to realize they can benefit from it too. What does it hurt to give NAACP the benefit of the doubt?
As far as their claim they feel unsafe. Heck, join the crowd! We have that much in common, so that's a start!
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1
Report MCGPHC
I am confused. Throwing trash in the street and playing loud music is O.K.? And the people who are on section 8 are all African American?
The police department has much more on its hands than writing citations for minor offenses. Unless citizens have called and complained about such matters. Because their neighbors care about no one else, but themselves and what they want, or don't want. (A nice neighborhood.)
Unstable civility turns the corner to chaos.
Mediation between people is a good thing though, and the end result is what both sides would prefer. To help a community better its self.
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3
Report joincalifornia
The NAACP should be helping those Black families to control their children and respect their neighbors and to stay out of trouble with the police instead of trying to intimidate the Police Department into ignoring the laws of the community and to not request that black families comply with those laws. The modus operandi of the NAACP is to go into underfunded communities, make very unreasonable demands and to threaten the community with an expensive lawsuit if the community does not accept the NAACP's demands. Not long ago the NAACP demanded that a teacher be fired for not giving a Black student the lead role in the high school Play. And the school fired the teacher that day because the school district was terrified of a law suit and bad publicity. These same sorts of things are going on very day all over America and whereas at one time, I greatly admired the NAACP and donated to them regularly, I wouldn't give them a dime today. They are bullies who make outrageous demands and cause all sort of understandable resentment and racial division in American communities.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2285
Report BazookaJoe
That's an interesting perpective. Maybe they vary from chapter to chapter? We'll have to see what happens, but that isn't consistent with what one of their representatives told the City Council at the last meeting and I didn't get that from the article. I'll go back and see if I missed something.
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2
Report sflint9021
I would have to agree with the above comment about respecting your neighbors. playing loud music and letting your dog bark all night are disruptive to our sanity. I live in concord and have these same problems. the police tell me there is nothing they can do at midnight on a wednesday when my neighbor has their music so loud that I can't hear the tv. (concord has not got a noise ord) let alone get to sleep. I can make a citzens arrest or complain to the land lord, those are my options. what is happening to our values. I was taught to have respect for others, is that out dated? and don't get me started on those cars you can hear/feel from 1/3 mile away!!!
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1597
Report stoney4
I can't believe that Concord doesn't have a noise ordinance. If they don't, then you need to go to a city council meeting and suggest that they create one.
As for the car stereos, that's been one of my pet peeves for years. There has to be some way for these things to be outlawed, period. They are not designed for the listening pleasure of the occupants in the vehicle. They're usually mounted in the trunk so that the low frequency, the bass sound that you hear and feel from such a long distance, is projected outward for the rest of us to "enjoy". Some of the ads in magazines for these systems shout out "DISTURB THE PEACE 24/7!!!" I know there are tons of civil liberties lawyers who will defend these jerk's rights to have these systems in their cars but there has to be just as many competent attornies who could defend the majority's right to peace and quiet. It would take a lot of people writing to their people in congress but I'm afraid that this would be something pretty low on their priority list and I guess there are a lot of people who think it's no big deal and a waste of time. Just one more drip in the torrent that has been forming for years deteriorating our society.