Posted on 09/06/2007 10:34:53 PM PDT by peggybac
The woman in the middle of a Kansas City political storm isn’t quitting.
Frances Semler said Thursday she was feeling pressured because the city could lose two national conventions unless she resigned from the park board. And she was shaken by a local group that showed up at her doorstep Wednesday.
But, she said, “I don’t intend to resign.”
Mayor Mark Funkhouser said Thursday that he understood if Semler wanted to resign after the National Council of La Raza and the NAACP said they were reconsidering holding their conventions in Kansas City because of her membership in the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps.
That group has taken a strong stance on immigration issues and has conducted patrols of U.S. borders.
In June, Funkhouser turned down Semler’s offer to resign after the initial controversy over her appointment. But Thursday, he said he would not require her to stay on the park board, because of recent events.
“If she feels like it’s more than she wants to deal with, I’m not going to force her to do it,” Funkhouser said.
Semler said the mayor need not worry.
“I appreciate his support,” she said. “We have a good group (on the park board) and I enjoy being part of the group. And I feel we can accomplish a lot.”
As far as her appointment drawing attention from national civil rights groups, Semler said, “It is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” She said her views on immigration should not affect her service on the board.
Semler said she had not spoken to Funkhouser this week but did talk Wednesday with his wife, Gloria Squitiro, who was supportive.
Funkhouser reiterated that he continued to support Semler, even if it meant losing the two conventions and any other events.
Also Thursday, members of a group apologized for upsetting Semler by going to her door Wednesday and leaving a letter calling for her to resign.
Semler said the incident left her shaken and prompted her to call police, who have stepped up patrols of the neighborhood.
In a news conference, members of the Interfaith Worker Justice of Greater Kansas City offered their explanation.
“We don’t regret delivering her the letter,” said the Rev. Spencer Barrett of the Bethel AME Church. “We do apologize to her. Our only regret would be that she was frightened in any way, shape or form.”
Longtime labor organizer Chere Chaney said she was one of six people who visited Semler’s home. She said there was no intent to intimidate Semler.
“We went to the door. … rang the doorbell; she didn’t answer,” Chaney said. “Knocked on the door; she didn’t answer. … we were at the door less than a minute, and we left.”
Several of those at the West Side news conference repeated their criticism of the Semler appointment.
“The country is looking at our city and seeing what we stand for,” said Rita Valenciano of the Coalition of Hispanic Organizations. “Do we stand for a community that’s diverse, inclusive and welcoming? Or do we stand for bigotry and hatred against a targeted group because of their looks and appearance and language?”
Semler questioned whether the group truly regretted its action because members said they would do nothing differently.
“That’s not an apology really,” she said.
Semler said she questioned the group’s explanation because she believed they called ahead to find out whether she was at home and hung up when she identified herself.
Two of Semler’s neighbors told police they saw eight or nine individuals at the door and the group parked two cars away from Semler’s home and then walked to the door.
She said the group pounded on her door multiple times before leaving.
“I think they wanted a confrontation because they made sure I was at home,” she said.
Semler said that she remained mystified over how the controversy surrounding her has mushroomed, but that the threat of Kansas City losing conventions would not cause her to step aside.
“It doesn’t seem like this is going away,” she said. “We are at a standoff.”
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Inside Mike Hendricks applauds the mayor’s stance. | B1
Tourism officials worry about the effects of a boycott. | C1
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@ Go to KansasCity. com for video from a news conference by opponents of Frances Semler.
To reach DeAnn Smith, call 816-234-4412 or send e-mail to dsmith@kcstar.com.
I’m in for a freep, but where? Park board meeting?
I was thinking watching her house, her back.
KC would not lose a single dime from La Raza going elsehwere. I did consulting work for a municipality years ago which revealed that, although the city admin claimed they would earn $30 million from a particular convention, we determined the taxpayers would actually LOSE $14 million because of all the breaks and incentives involved, and the grossly inaccurate income estimates the mayor’s office came up with. They ended up canceling the event.
My friends and I “roll our own”...
LOTS of it!
And store it in several locations.....
The better question would be "Do we stand for a community that follows the rule of constitutional law and treats everyone equally before it? Or do we stand for a community that can easily be intimidated and forced to give in to the loudest and most belligerent group of racists who only wish to colonize and milk their hosts or, even worse, drive them out?"
Well said! I agree 100%
Mayor Funkhauser has been under the microscope ever since he was sworn in; he is not particularly politically astute, which hurts him in the short run.
If the ~flashpoint~ wasn’t Frances Semler, it would be something or someone else.
In the 21st century, the KKK are simply fringe rednecks but back in the early 20th century, the KKK were a political force to be reckoned with and were terrorists in every sense of the word.
Yeah, and I'm sure the KKK didn't mean to scare people with their burning crosses! /sarcasm.
I could not agree more. The media is the one helping them turn the debate from being ILLEGAL to one playing the race card. I mean they are crying racist at people who simply want to uphold the freaking law of the land. But, if they cry it loud enough and long enough, then they will be the ones framing the debate and that is a bad thing. I noticed the sublety of the media to go away from anything that has to do with the words “ILLEGAL alien” and move towards “UNDOCUMENTED immigrants”. Words mean things and most people would be more sympathetic towards UNDOCUMENTED than anything ILLEGAL. That is why we must keep calling a spade a spade and use the word that fits....ILLEGAL.
We already had the National Urban League conference here not long ago....
Good for her. I hope she hangs tough on this. La Raza can kiss my foot.
“Two of Semler’s neighbors told police they saw eight or nine individuals at the door and the group parked two cars away from Semler’s home and then walked to the door”
Quite typical of all too many areas; where’s a parking space when you need one.
“Plain TERRORISM”
Only if she is unarmed.
Gee...and here I thought invertibrates couldn't type.
Gee...and here I thought invertebrates couldn't type.
>>>> the La Raza racists.
Ironically, La Raza (”The Race”) has had the audacity to call her a racist.
If an octopus can learn to remove a cork from a bottle with a live prey animal inside, certainly us “Swamp Invertibrates” can spare a couple of pseudopods with which to slime a key board as we peck our messages into the Internet.
;-)
Glad to hear y'all are evolving...
“evolving”? Tryin’ to open a new battle in the War Between The Evos & Crevos, are Ya?
My friend Mr. Mossberg is an excellent conversationalist during those times when uninvited callers pound on my door looking for a confrontation.
L
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