Ithacans vent outrage (over alleged hate crime), seek justice at meeting

Ithaca Journal ^ | Saturday, July 13, 2002 | By KANDEA MOSLEY

[Behind Liberal Lines]

ITHACA -- Outrage, frustration and a desire for justice united those at an emergency meeting held Friday, to discuss a racially charged assault reported earlier this week.

About 75 local residents gathered at the Southside Community Center to learn how they could support the victim and get their questions about the handling of the case addressed. Several city and county officials were in attendance.

[NativeNewYorker]

Hell, both are working to destroy mainstream America!

[Behind Liberal Lines]

City of Evil ping

[mafree]

Bump- thanks for the links.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Update: Today's Ithaca Journal has an editorial about how to use the "big brother" tactics liberal usually decry in an effort to fight hate crimes:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/725223/posts

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Un-believable...

They are still writing in to the paper about this.

Today, there's a letter from the current Chair of the County Legislature, a radical former anti-war protester, self-described hippie, who says "My values haven't changed, just my tactics."

He opines that:

Following the release of the three people charged with a racially motivated attack on Patricia Morris, many members of the community have claimed that a double standard applies in our courts. I believe that those claims are accurate and that demands for change are justified. but I hope that, in demanding equal treatment, we will demand equal justice rather than equal injustice. A Journal editorial defending the release said "A bail hearing has a single, very narrow purpose: assuring that the defendants will show up in court. If there is a risk of flight, bail is set; if not, it's wrong to levy bail. It's quite cut and dried, really." This is a clear statement of a basic constitutional principle, but one that is commonly ignored in our courts, especially when people of color are charged. Regardless of how outraged and angered we are by the viciousness and racial nature of the attack, these defendants have the right to be treated by the court as innocent until proven guilty. But the black man sitting in jail with $2,000 bail for drug possession, petit larceny, or assault, or the Hispanic woman charged with forgery and given a $1,500 bail, also had the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. Our jail is full of people awaiting trial who pose no serious risk of flight, but cannot make bail. Those people are disproportionately African-Americans and other people of color. In years of working to reduce the number of people in our local jail, I have often advocated The Journal's cut-and-dried position: that the only purpose of bail is to ensure that defendants appear in court. What I have encountered from professionals in the criminal justice field, including judges, is a whole range of excuses for using bail to keep people in jail: the person is dangerous, has a long criminal history, he's intoxicated, he's being belligerent in court, the judge has seen him repeatedly, he needs to be separated from the people he's hanging out with. I believe The Journal has even editorialized in favor of some of these rationales in other circumstances. When we accept or support these abuses of bail and they have a racist effect on who sits in our jail, we help set the tone that says racism is tolerated in our community. It's important that community leaders speak out and condemn racist violence when it occurs here. It's even more important that we act to change those elements of the larger system that support and encourage racism. As long as we allow our institutions to function in ways that have racially biased results, our words of condemnation have a hollow ring. When we put a stop to the abuse of bail that keeps poor and minority defendants in jail before trial, we'll be able to honestly deny the existence of a double standard. Let's take a stand for both equality and justice.

(To order "Ithaca is the City of Evil" merchandise, courtesy of FREEPER "the," Click Here).

(And to order "Ithaca is the City of Evil" bumper stickers [and support Free Republic],Click Here and enter "Evil" as a your keyword.)

[Soaring Feather]

Barf, just Barf!!!

[tcostell]

as long as we allow our institutions to function in ways that have racially biased results,...

Oh I understand, it's equal results we're after not equal treatment. What an idiot.

[NativeNewYorker]

The ratio of black-on-white to white-on-black violent crime is about 8:1. The ratio for rapes is 37:1.

There is a race problem in America. It's just not the one the loonies focus on.

[mafree]

Bump- this hasn't died yet eh?

[nicmarlo]

Thanks for the ping, BLL. I've been down for the past couple of weeks.....I now live near Ithaca, lol (about 15 or 20 miles, I think). Keep me posted on what's going on....I don't have cable hooked up yet, so I can't watch Fox. After I get more settled here (and find a job), I'll be able to add to your Ithaca is Evil sightings. :)

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Believe it or not, over one month later and they are still writing in:

From George Lohr of Ithaca: "I read with total disgust the July 20 Ithaca Journal about the attack on Patricia Morris July 8. The defendents in this case claim not to be racist and yet they use the 'N' word. I hate this word! In today's society, where many hypocrites abound, the defendants fit the bill. They may not be racist but I'm sorry, whenever someone uses the 'N' word, this is racist."

These Ithacites got over the September 11 attacks quicker than they are getting over this.

Ithaca is the City of Evil.

[general_re]

These Ithacites got over the September 11 attacks quicker than they are getting over this.

Well, of course - 9/11 was an attack on America, and since when have they ever cared about America? Other than during their sporadic "Hate America, the Great Satan" rallies, that is. Whereas this grocery-store thing was a direct assault on their most precious possession - their smug, overbearing sense that their little patch of dirt is the most enlightened, benevolent and tolerant place on earth.

[Soaring Feather]

City of Evil bump

Nothing like beating a dead horse! That's what these people are good at, yet they are the ones always talking about moving on.

What does that mean?

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Well, of course - 9/11 was an attack on America, and since when have they ever cared about America? Other than during their sporadic "Hate America, the Great Satan" rallies, that is. Whereas this grocery-store thing was a direct assault on their most precious possession - their smug, overbearing sense that their little patch of dirt is the most enlightened, benevolent and tolerant place on earth.

As usual, General, you hit the nail on the head.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Nothing like beating a dead horse! That's what these people are good at...

That's true. They're still beating the dead horse of socialism.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

No surprise here, but the Ithacites are already starting to use this attack to go after "free speech".

Check out the plans for their anti-hate crime "unity" rally:

An Ithaca woman reportedly assaulted in a racially-charged attack, will lead a procession of walkers against hate-based crimes this Thursday on The Commons.

Patricia Morris, 20, of Ithaca will not be a speaker at the Unity Rally, Alderwoman Diann Sams, D-2nd Ward, said.

But she will help lead the demonstration in solidarity with community members and city officials who have organized the rally, Sams said.

"This will allow people to make a commitment about what they will do to prevent bias-related crimes or to support people who have been victims," Sams said. "For example, if you hear someone telling a joke that's racist say that's not acceptable."

(To order "Ithaca is the City of Evil" merchandise, courtesy of FREEPER "the," Click Here).

(And to order "Ithaca is the City of Evil" bumper stickers [and support Free Republic],Click Here and enter "Evil" as a your keyword.)

[Soaring Feather]

Can we expect a visit from the "Junior" Senator of NY for this walk-a-thon?

Right up her alley!

[Behind Liberal Lines]

The three white attackers have been indicted for hate crimes and other charges in connection with this incident.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20020907/topstories/33098.html

The race baiting reporter is still using the incident to advance her own agenda, however. In addition to reporting on the crime itself, the article states:

"The incident provoked pockets of community outrage as concerned residents organized two community meetings and gathered for three public rallies. At the events, attendees spoke out against hate-based violence, institutional discrimination and what they called the hypocrisy of diversity rhetoric that is used to hide persistent racism."

Ithaca is the City of Evil.