Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 August 2002 — Page 9

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2,2002

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE A9

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Readers Respond

Indianapolis Police Department wns inept at Indiana Black Expo

(This is a copy of a letter sent to the Indianapolis Police Department.) My name is Charles G. Ransom; I am a former resident of Indianapolis. Currently I am living in Ann Arbor, Mich. I was bom and raised in Indianapolis and lived in the city until I moved in 1991. I have returned to the city several times in past few years to attend events and visit family and friends. I was in town to attend several of the Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration events (IBE). My attendance at the IBE events brings me to th" reason for my letter to you. Before I continue I would like to state that IBE this summer was excellent. The manner in which the Indianapolis Police Department handled traffic during IBE was pitiful, particularly Saturday and Sunday nights. The police were not driver friendly by any means. Over the years I have attended many events in Indianapolis and other cities, but never have I experienced the inept handling of traffic that I saw this weekend. I have attended the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, the 500 Festival parades, the Mini-Marathon, the Pan-Am games, Indianapolis Colts games, Indiana Pacers games, and the Indiana State Fair. In addition I have attended the Bayou Classic in New Orleans, the African World Fest in Detroit, the Caribbean Celebration in Toronto, the Chicago Taste, the Cincinnati Jazz Festival, and football games in Ann Arbor where more than 100,000 people attend. All these events have one thing in common and that is large numbers of pedestrians and motor vehicles going to a central location. I have never witnessed such poor traffic management at any of the events stated above. I never thought I would write this but maybe the Indianapolis Police Department should take a page out of the Cincinnati Police Department’s book. It seemed the police did not care or did not know how to handle large volumes of traffic. I know that is not true because of my past experience with major events in Indianapolis. I can only conclude that the Indianapolis Police Department does not care about how the city is perceived by out-of-town African Americans. Over the course of the weekend I heard many horror stories about traffic, however I will not repeat those stories, but give two specific examples of inept traffic control that happened to me. Number 1 On Saturday night I was going to an event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. I was staying on the Eastside of Indianapolis off Emerson. At about 11 p.m. I started west on 1-70 and exited for downtown at Ohio Street. I proceeded west on Ohio

from the interstate and turned south on Pennsylvania. Around the time I hit Penn and Market streets the Mosley-Forrest fight was ending and people were walking to their cars. It was 45 minutes before I could park my car in the Westin garage because of traffic gridlock. We are talking about 45 minutes to travel four blocks. There was no one directing traffic on Pennsylvania. But this is not the worst. Upon leaving the dance I left the Westin garage onto Maryland Street. All traffic was forced to go south on Capitol, not a problem I figured I would go east on South Street — no, I would go east on McCarthy Street—no I was forced to go west on 1-70 no problem, I would exit at Harding, no I was forced to go all the way to Holt Road before I could exit 1-70 West. If this type of traffic control were to be practiced at the 500, cars would be forced to go to Brownsburg before they were allowed to exit 1-74. Also this practice of forcing cars out of the downtown area without regard to where

the car needs to go, sends a message to African Americans saying “the sun has gone down Black people get out of town,” Bull Connor would be proud. I understand the need to have cars quickly leave the downtown area, but wouldn’t it be better to have them enter the interstate with an option to go east or west. Also this policy creates problems for the out-of-town visitor, because they do not know the city. Number 2 On Sunday night I attended the concert at Conseco Fieldhouse. The concert ended around 11:30, as I proceeded south on Pennsylvania the street was blocked by two police motorcycles at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Georgia. This forced cars going south on Penn to turn east on Georgia, in addition to cars turning east on Georgia, cars were heading east on Georgia from the west, and cars were exiting a parking garage on Georgia. So there were three sources of cars coming together at the inter-

section of Georgia and Pennsylvania. This created a gridlock situation, and the two motorcycle policemen just sat on their motorcycles talking and ignoring the traffic. I am sure they could have helped direct traffic, but judging from my past experience the night before they would have just made matter worst, so they did right to just sit and watch. IBE has a great tradition in Indiana and over the country, but the Indianapolis Police Department and the inept traffic control is giving the city and IBE two black eyes. As I stated above, the IPD seemed to have an air of hostility and indifference toward the visitors to IBE. I am sure the same type of attitude is not displayed to visitors to other events in the city. If IPD can’t manage the IBE traffic at least give the police officers a course in common courtesy. Something must be done to fix the traffic problem before the Circle City Classic and the next IBE Summer Celebration. Charles G. Ransom

Thanks to Recorder photographers

I would like to say thanks to Jim Buntin, Curtis Guynn, Michael Patton, Jim Wright, and James Penn. These photographers spent lots of time and effort taking pictures at this year’s Black Expo. The coverage was excellent. From the first day, through the last night, these guys were there to bring us photographs of the many historical events. Asa professional photographer, I am proud to know most of these guys personally. I know the effort they put in capturing the things going on in the Black community. Many people take our photographs lightly, but we capture our lives

Your Voice

and show how we live. Photographers have captured our struggles from slavery. Photographers have documented our freedom. Photographers have shown our success to overcome racism. But we still have a lot of photographs to take. We need to capture our heritage on every step of our journey. Jim, Mike, Curtis, Jim W., and James — please keep up the good work. Stand proud! What we do today helps make us stronger tomorrow. Greg Mitchell Indianapolis

How do you fool about Indianapolis Police Department's security enforcoment during IBE Summer Celebration?

“Let’s put it this way: It if was the “White Expo” then they would just have a couple of police cars on every other comer, not the armies of cops you see at our events.” - Edward Hurrigan “Many of the police officers here treat people badly for no reason, but Mayor Peterson and city [leaders] seem to be doing a good job of investigating it.” -Tiffany Mack “My biggest problem with the police is the inconsistency in the way they patrol various events. White folks can stay at the race events 24/ 7, but we’re told to “go home” after Expo and the Circle Classic.” - Ed Rice

Edward Hurrigan

Aaort V. Haims Rtcordar Edtor

SOUNDING OFF On the other side

“The problem is larger than any one individual, media personality, public elected official or business leader. ” IPD, Expo fiasco

will take a

community to heal City residents will have an opportunity to attend two town hall meetings dealing with the Indianapolis Police Department’s strict security enforcement during Indiana Black Expo’s Sum-

mer Celebration July 19-21.

The first will take place 4 p.m., Sunday at the Douglass Community Center (located near 25th and Dr. Andrew J. Brown streets) and is a grassroots organized effort by Denise Hatcher, a local woman whose son inspired her to stand up and be counted and do something positive in her

community.

The other will be a more grand event, sponsored by WTLC-AM, set from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Omega Conference Center, 3110 Sutherland Ave, The latter is orchestrated by Congresswoman Julia Carson, Willie “Frank” Middlebrook and Amos Brown and will include local dignitaries such as Mayor Bart Peterson, Public Safety Director Robert Turner and several other community leaders. Some may wonder why are two events needed. Others may say who is this Denise Hatcher and where does she come off trying to “upstage” Congresswoman Julia Carson and other influential black city leaders. But this is not the place or the time for such petty thoughts or

questions.

For those who may not know, Denise Hatcher is everyday people. She was deeply moved by the numerous calls made to local radio stations about the alleged mistreatment many people said they received by Indianapolis Police officers during IBE’s Summer

Celebration.

“Although I was not personally affected, I could relate to what I heard because in years past I had experienced some of the things others expressed and I knew it could’ve easily happened to me again,” she said. “But what moved me was when my son asked the question, “why mommy?” I simply did not have an answer and that’s when I decided I had to do something.” That something would be organizing her first neighborhood town hall meeting on the issue of IPD and community relations during IBE’s Summer Celebration. “I am in no way trying to undermine what Ms. Carson the others are doing, in fact when I started to plan this I didn’t know about any other meeting,” she said. “I think people should attend both meetings...why should the community just be limited to attending

only one.”

I’m with Hatcher. The rift between some officers within the Indianapolis Police Department and city residents will take a whole community to heal. The problem is larger than any one individual, media personality, public elected official or business leader. There are not enough bold and courageous people, like Hatcher, willing to take on the responsibility of being a community leader and when someone steps up to the plate they should be encouraged, not attacked and criticized. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “everybody can be great because everyone can serve.* And no one needs a special invitation to serve. If only Hatcher and her son show up to Sunday’s meeting, it will not be a failure—for at least she tried to do her part to make things

right.

That’s more than many people can claim.

****

An affirmation I want to sound off this week is: When it comes to moving our lives forward, we have to put aside petty, trivial thoughts and deeds. We simply have to shut’em down and keep stepping. Send comments to: [email protected] or call 317-924-5143ext. 328

—to hold that white racism is not the primary impediment to Black success will get you called a “Tom” every time.

Defending Black conservatism

By J.C. PHILLIPS I used to spend time on the computer going to chat rooms and participating in discussions on African-American message boards. I had to stop. I grew tired of the abuse. Discussions quickly deteriorated into street corner yelling matches replete with playing “The Dozens.” My conservative ideas were not rejected on their merits, they were summarily shouted down. Noticeably absent from the challenges were any real facts. Moral indignation and claims to historical victimization were deemed sufficient. Certainly, this is to be expected when conversing over the Internet with ordinary folks whose domain is not the world of ideas. However, it is maddening when this same street-corner strategy is used by those we entrust with the job of moving cultural dialogue forward through thoughtful analysis and debate.

While surfing the net, 1 came across several essays critical of Black conservative thought. The essays differed in the amount of vitriol leveled at Black conservatives, but all seemed to agree on one thing: we are up to no good. Our beliefs are manufactured, not organic, and we all have some ulterior motive. . What exactly is that motive? If you are James Dixon, writing for Black World Today, it is nothing short of the “exclusion of Blacks (and other ethnic minorities) from full participation in American society.” Exactly how this will benefit those of us who are “ethnic in spite of our politics” he doesn’t say. My guess — his answer is the same as the general explanation he offers for the existence of Black conservative thought: appeasing the white man. Even respected intellectuals like my frat brother Cornel West are not immune. A few years ago West published an article in the Christian Century titled “Un-

masking the Black Conserva- does not determine truth and motives.” In all fairness to Brother rality. With poll after poll revealWest he believes the emergence ing a majority of Black people of the Black conservative to be a favoring prayer in school, welfare healthy development. However, reform, tax reform, school vouchafter ceding that there has indeed ers and tough law enforcement —

been a cultural and moral decay in the Black community, he proceeds to argue that Black conservatism is in reality a quest for white peer acceptance. Let me get this straight. We strive to deny opportunity to our fellow Black citizens, at the cost of opportunity for ourselves and our children, because at the end of the day the white man will pat our nappy heads, give us our 30 pieces of silver and send us on our way. Alas, this is what passes for thoughtful, intellectual engagement. Both West and Dixon claim that our small numbers are proof of our ignobility and that there is a disconnect between Black conservative ideology and what is happening in the Black community. As far as I know, the number of believers

which are all measures opposed by the liberal leadership — we conservatives are not as out of touch as some would hope. But, as the fellas on the street say, “who’s zoomin’ who? If we gon’talk, let’s talk!” West, Dixon and other critics of Black conservatism are not interested in the conservative position on school prayer or tax reform. When they talk about “repugnant” ideas they are referring to the Black conservatives’ failure to embrace the doctrine of affirmative action. Today’s Black conventional wisdom goes something like this: Racism is so entrenched, so subtle that Black success is impossible until every ounce of that racism is gleaned from the hearts of white America. No, a belief in free markets and a lean federal govern-

ment will not earn the wrath of the liberal elite. Moving against the tide of that wisdom —to hold that white racism is not the primary impediment to Black success will get you called a “Tom” every time. One thing that critics of Black conservatism have correct is that they recognize the Black community’s growing disenchantment with the liberal establishment. There are issues of great concern in Black communities that need addressing. Solutions will require new ideas and fresh perspectives. The traditional leadership, grown fat on the politics of victimization, has failed. West refers to liberal Black leadership as “inadequate,” but Black conservatism is “unacceptable.” I disagree. In the final paragraph of West's essay he expresses hope that a principled and passionate political discourse will emerge highlighting the issues of poor and working class Blacks. So long

as Black liberals prefer insults to honest engagement, there will be no discourse, which will sadly leave our community recycling the same tired, inadequate ideas. I, for one, would welcome open, rational debate. It sure would be nice to engage in discussions without being perceived as a non-thinking boob, or worse, a mutation — a cancer — on the Black cultural body in need of excising.